Lockheed Martin has invested $1.1 million in Contextere, a Canadian startup specialising in artificial intelligence software, to develop a maintenance support system for the Canadian C-130J Super Hercules.

Contextere’s system will focus on service and industrial inspection, as well as maintenance, overhaul and repair, an 18 July Contextere press release states. In 2010, Lockheed delivered the first of 17 CC-130J tactical transport aircraft to the Royal Canadian Air Force. The funding for the Ottawa-based Contextere fulfills Lockheed’s Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) obligation for the CC-130J in-service support.

“By tracking work-related maintenance performance and identifying systemic human error in procedures and processes, the Contextere solution will help create a safer, more fulfilling and more productive workplace,” the release states.

Funded by BMW, Contextere bills itself as an “internet of things” company focused on connecting blue collar workers with data.

Source: FlightGlobal.com