Atomus Creates New Technology to Help Marine Corps

Originally published by Tristan Tausch on IncubateUSC.

The United States Marine Corps, one of the nation’s four-armed services branches, has protected Americans since 1775. Operating aboard ships, on land, and even in the air, the Marines have a reputation as among the nation’s fiercest and most elite fighting forces.

However, they have long faced an implacable enemy that continuously wreaks havoc: equipment breakdowns. A faulty engine in a combat ship could temporarily render the vessel unseaworthy, while a couple of damaged gears in a Humvee could take the vehicle out of commission. The Marines spend nearly $7 billion annually on maintenance, according to U.S. government statistics.

At present, the Marines have few good options for quickly and inexpensively finding replacement parts for hobbled ships, military vehicles, and planes. Defense contractors sometimes charge exorbitant prices for rare spare parts, which could take months or even years to produce. Alternately, the Marines could make design files and 3-D print parts themselves. However, rigorous parts’ testing takes time and resources, leaving ships, vehicles, and planes in maintenance.

The three USC Viterbi students who comprise the fledgling startup Atomus believe they have come up with an idea that would benefit both the Marines and defense contractors and, in the process, improve America’s security…