In a simulated Mars environment, a space rover tests an innovative control system born from an unlikely source: insect brains. UK-based start-up Opteran’s software, dubbed natural intelligence, draws from this research on bug brains. Scientists at the University of Sheffield are the people who are making these discoveries.
They found neurological efficiency in insects; honeybee brains have 1 million neurons, whereas humans have 86 billion neurons. They found complex navigation along with obstacle avoidance and communication capabilities. The researchers are now trying to replicate these qualities in autonomous machines by reverse engineering brain algorithms into software. Opteron, founded in 2019, aims to commercialize this technology.
This project is in motion with the collaboration of Opteran with Airbus, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the UK space agency to test its innovative neuromorphic software in Airbus space rovers. Opteran’s technology has been doing research for over a decade on animals’ and insect’s vision, navigation, and decision-making. By reverse engineering natural brain algorithms, Opteron has developed a software mind that enables autonomous machines to navigate challenging environments without extensive data or training efficiently.
Nowadays, space rovers are mostly ponderous machines, taking minutes to map their surroundings from multiple cameras before each movement. However, this UK-based startup, Opteran, is changing the game with its innovative “natural intelligence” software, Opteran Mind. This technology promises to reduce navigation mapping time from minutes to milliseconds, enabling continuous navigation without extensive data or training.
Opteron Mind’s capabilities have caught the attention of industry giants, including Airbus Mars Yard, a simulated Martian environment. The European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK Space Agency are also supporting this project. According to David Rajan, Opteran’s CEO and co-founder, this is a unique ability to operate with size, weight, and ultra-low power. The benefits of opportunistic thinking are multifaceted.
The software offers zero latency visual depth perception, minimizing power consumption and eliminating heavy tools like gimbal-based pan-tilt cameras. This enables robots to drive further and at higher speeds without human intervention. The vision of Opteran extends beyond space exploration. The company will aim to integrate its natural intelligence into every machine, from underground mines to airborne vehicles and off-world exploration.
“We aim to integrate an option mind into every machine, underground in mines, on the ground, in the IR, and off the world,” says David Rajan, the chief executive of Opteron. All 45 members of the team at Opteran are determined that robots could utilize these qualities, and this could result in a new milestone in tech. This new finding could benefit us in many ways; it consumes only ultra-low power and has a zero-latency visual depth perception.
It can enhance navigation and obstacle avoidance, which increases autonomy in decision-making. The project, funded by ESA’s General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) through the UK space agency, focuses on depth estimation for obstacle detection and infrastructure-free visual navigation.
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