Dr. Michael Robert Receives Rear Adm. David W. Taylor Award for Scientific Achievement

Dr. Michael Robert Receives Rear Adm. David W. Taylor Award for Scientific Achievement

By Alisha Tyer

Dr. Michael A. Robert, a Technical Project Manager at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, received the Rear Admiral David W. Taylor Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement for his work in developing a fully autonomous, continuously monitoring prognostic health system for submarines.

The award recognizes Robert's leadership in a multi-year effort to improve the Navy's ability to detect, monitor, and predict platform health on submarines. His work integrates physics-based modeling, sensor data, and machine learning to shift platform health monitoring from reliability-centered, or condition based, to predictive.

For nearly a decade, Robert has focused on a challenging problem: developing a capability that can predict when submarine electromechanical systems are at risk of failure with scientific precision and without human intervention.

"It's been a long journey of technical development, but we're now finally to the point where the technology is maturing, and we're integrating it into the lead ship design of the next generation SSN(X) fast attack submarine," Robert said.

He noted the system is designed to operate autonomously using embedded sensors to evaluate stress, degradation, and fatigue in real time, moving the Navy away from reactive to more prognostic maintenance models. This enables a data-driven approach to decision-making and supports risk-informed maintenance planning throughout a platform's lifecycle.

"The goal is to move away from reactive maintenance and to get ahead of failure instead of chasing it," he said.

Robert began his career at Carderock in systems engineering and later transitioned into Branch Head and Technical Program Management positions. He said the flexibility to move between science and applied engineering helped him develop a solution that meets both technical and operational requirements.

"There aren't many places where you can transition from basic science all the way to applied engineering," he said. "That's the beauty of Carderock."

Over the course of the project, Robert worked with a broad network of stakeholders across the Navy, including shipbuilders, program sponsors, platform engineers, and subject matter experts in machinery and sensor technologies. He emphasized the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in bringing the concept to implementation.

"I always wanted to work on something that the Navy cared about, where they really needed answers," Robert said. "This is one of those problems."

Named in honor of Rear Adm. David Watson Taylor, a pioneer in naval ship design and hydrodynamics, the Taylor Award honors individuals whose scientific or engineering achievements have significantly advanced naval technology.

Robert said he hopes the work being done now will support the next generation of submariners and engineers. He also acknowledged the contributions of colleagues and mentors who supported the long-term development of the system.

"This isn't something one person could have done alone," he said. "It took a whole community to get here."

Robert continues to support development and integration efforts for prognostic systems and is working with Carderock and Navy leadership to expand their use on in-service and future platforms.