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| Intel has sent artificial intelligence into space |
Intel has sent an artificial intelligence beyond Earth via a small satellite to facilitate data processing in space.
The tech giant has announced its contribution to the launch of PhiSat-1, a new small satellite that launched into a synchronous solar orbit on September 2 and orbiting Earth.
PhiSat-1 includes a HyperScout-2 thermal imaging camera and an image processing unit (Movidius Myriad 2).
Intel's myriad family of products is designed to speed up data processing and reduce traffic.
Vision processing units are widely used in retail, security and industrial settings, but have now entered the space exploration field.
From cameras to drones, there is everything from image processing units that provide data processing capabilities that are powered by artificial intelligence.
The artificial intelligence of PhiSat-1 is testing various methods to reduce the bandwidth load required to send images and information to site searchers.
One of the challenges that scientists face is separating unnecessary images (such as cloud images) from valuable content.
Once the data is captured and recorded and the journey from space to our planet is complete, researchers will have to spend a lot of time examining and removing unnecessary images.
According to Gianluca Furano, Director of Information Technology at the European Space Agency (ESA), the cameras and sensors used in modern satellites now have powerful content capture capabilities.
"If there is no way to simplify the next part of the process, we cannot fully realize this potential," he said.
If you remove these images before sending them, the satellites can save up to 30% of their bandwidth, which means sending more useful data back to Earth.
Intel, the European Space Agency (ESA), startup Ubotica, and camera manufacturer Cosine have launched and tested the satellite together.
For Intel, the plan could pave the way for satellite-as-a-service applications where small devices can extend existing networks based on traditional computing devices.
Intel hopes that PhiSat-1 will lay the foundation for advanced artificial intelligence satellites in the future.
The team is currently developing PhiSat-2, which includes the Movidius Myriad 2 chip, in the hope that it will further demonstrate the value of AI in space.
In addition to image processing, the researchers hope to develop a method for installing and running multiple AI-based applications.