Arc Skills / Technical management and design reviews
Review technology readiness evidence
Use Arc Skills to compare a claimed technology readiness level with the evidence from actual experiments and demonstrations. The output shows which level criteria are supported, which conditions are missing and what demonstration would address the gap.
Use this skill
Use Arc Skills to review this technology readiness claim.
Inputs:
- Claimed level and governing level definitions
- Demonstration reports and exact hardware/software configuration
- Intended environment, scale, loads and integration dependencies
Return a criterion-to-evidence table with supported findings, missing conditions and next demonstration. Distinguish analytical prediction, laboratory evidence and relevant-environment evidence. Do not assign a level from a label alone.What you provide and what you get
| What you have | How it is used | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Claim and controlled level definitions | Establish the actual maturity criteria | A bounded assessment basis |
| Experiment reports and configurations | Check what was demonstrated | Criterion-level findings |
| Intended application and environment | Identify gaps in fidelity and conditions | A targeted maturation demonstration |
A laboratory sensor demonstration does not settle the flight claim
Illustrative engineering example.
A supplier describes its sensor as TRL 6. The available demonstration uses a laboratory unit, a bench supply and simulated data. The target application uses revised electronics and a different environment.
Claim: TRL 6 under NASA definitions.
REP-LAB: breadboard B1, room conditions, bench supply, simulated recorder.
Target: hardware C2, flight power interface, thermal/vibration environment and real recorder timing.
No relevant-environment demonstration report or B1 → C2 comparison supplied.| Assessment dimension | Available evidence | Supported conclusion | Gap / next demonstration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic functional behavior | REP-LAB shows B1 outputs under stated laboratory conditions | Some laboratory function evidence exists | Inspect report criteria and repeatability before assigning a lower level |
| Environment | Room conditions only | Target environment not demonstrated by this report | Define relevant thermal, vibration and electrical conditions from the intended application |
| Fidelity and scale | Breadboard B1 versus intended C2 | Representativeness unresolved | Compare design changes and demonstrate the appropriate prototype |
| Integration | Simulated recorder and bench supply | Actual endpoint behavior not established | Exercise real or justified representative power/data interfaces |
| Claimed level | TRL 6 label without criterion mapping | Claim cannot be substantiated from this packet | Provide a criterion-linked demonstration report under the governing definitions |
NASA’s Appendix E describes level-specific evidence and environments. This example does not mechanically award a lower level: the report detail is insufficient for a complete criterion-by-criterion judgment even at a lower claim.
A technology can have useful laboratory evidence and still lack the conditions needed for its intended application. A part’s heritage in another product also needs a configuration and use comparison; technology maturity does not settle qualification or delivery acceptance.
Compare the demonstration with the intended use
- Inspect the exact level definitions the claim uses.
- Map each criterion to experiment conditions, fidelity, scale and configuration.
- Identify missing environments, integration dependencies and unresolved anomalies.
- Describe the demonstration that would close each gap without confusing readiness, qualification and acceptance.
Questions about this task
Does the same part number preserve a heritage maturity claim?
It is useful identity evidence, but compare design modifications, duty cycle, loads, environment and interfaces. A changed application can require new demonstrations.
Sources and further reading
- NASA NPR 7123.1D, Appendix E: technology readiness levels: NASA’s level definitions, to be compared with the actual demonstration conditions.
- NASA handbook: technology assessment and insertion: Background on maturity evidence and adapting heritage technology to new applications.
References inspected on 3 October 2026. The worked output is an authored example using the stated inputs.