REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: *** Questions and answers have been added. Responses to this notice shall be submitted NLT 12:00 PM CST, 24 July 2020. *** Description has been edited to clarify due date. Responses to this notice shall be submitted NLT 12:00 PM CST, 22 July 2020. This is a request for information only (not a pre-solicitation notice pursuant to FAR Part 5). This Request for Information (RFI) is for planning/information purposes only and shall not be construed as a commitment or a promise of a contract by the Government. This is not a solicitation. This notice does not constitute a Request for Bid, Request for Quote or Request for Proposal, nor does it restrict the Government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. The Government will not reimburse respondents for any costs incurred in preparation of a response to this notice. Large and small businesses are encouraged to participate in this survey. The purpose of this notice is to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources with the capability to provide commercially available technologies that may support ERDC’s and the Corp pf Engineers’ mission. The RFI is for a robotic arm system that will be integrated into an existing Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) to be used for sensor deployment in remote inspection application in locks and dams. BACKGROUND The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is in need of a robotic arm system to meet existing project requirements. The robotic arm system will be integrated into an existing Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) to be used for sensor deployment in a remote inspection application. This RFI seeks responses from potential vendors who may have existing products suitable for this application or expertise in adapting existing or developing new robotic arm systems that meet the requirements outlined herein. The USACE is responsible for the operation and maintenance of flood control structures within the United States. These flood control structures include dam facilities with pass through tunnels and flood control gates. Many of these facilities are aging and inspection for degradation is required on a periodic basis. The periodic inaspections primarily focus on the condition of the flood control gate structures at the distant end of the tunnels. Technical responses, and any data provided by vendors, will be reviewed by a panel of DOD and subject matter experts. Submissions will be evaluated based on the ability to address the requirements described in the attachment to this RFI, projected performance, availability, and cost. After review of all submissions, vendors for the technologies and methods best meeting our R&D needs may be invited to discuss their systems with the government. With careful safeguards on all proprietary rights, the information provided by developers will be used to advise the DoD on acquisition recommendations. REQUIREMENTS and D ETAILS: See attached additional information titled “DamBot Robotics Arm RFI” The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 333999, All Other Miscellaneous General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing, which has a small business size standard of 500 employees. This is not a request for competitive quotations and no award will be made from this RFI. No solicitation is available at this time; therefore, please do not request a copy of a solicitation. Submissions will be considered based on ability to meet the requirements, projected performance and cost. After review of the submissions, vendors for the technologies and methods meeting the requirements may be invited to discuss their systems with the government for further evaluation, and may be invited to participate in validation testing to support future acquisitions. Vendors having the skills and capabilities necessary to provide the described requirements are invited to provide feedback. Responses to this notice shall be submitted NLT 12:00 PM CST, 24 July 2020 to
[email protected] . All responses will be used to determine the appropriate acquisition strategy for a potential future acquisition. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Responses to this notice will not be considered as a response to any solicitation, a request to be added to a prospective offerors list, or to receive a copy of any solicitation. A determination by the Government not to solicit based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Note: In order to be eligible for award of a Government contract, vendors must be actively registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), have no active exclusions, and complete the FAR and DFARS representations and certifications.