BrainChip Holdings, the world’s first commercial producer of ultra-low power, fully digital, event-based, neuromorphic AI, saw its Akida AI technology launched into low earth orbit aboard the Optimus-1 spacecraft built by the Space Machines Company. The successful launch is another milestone for BrainChip’s innovative AI acceleration solution in the burgeoning SpaceTech industry, which needs advanced learning and decision-making processes in challenging space conditions.

Akida is built into the ANT61 Brain computer, which serves as the primary intelligent control for a series of repair and maintenance robots that will be used to remotely repair damaged space vehicles. This autonomy demands high-performance AI computation under severe energy, power, and thermal constraints. This makes it an application for Akida’s event-based, neuromorphic architecture that can deliver the necessary high performance with extremely low power operation. Additionally, Akida's unique on-chip learning also enables the ANT61 Brain to learn and adapt, which is critical in constrained space environments where variables are constantly changing.

“We’ve teamed up with BrainChip to create autonomous infrastructure maintenance robots that leverage an AI-driven ‘Brain’ to perform complex repair tasks in the unforgiving vacuum of space,” said Mikhail Asavkin, CEO, and founder of ANT61. “This launch is an important milestone towards that goal. We plan to start operating the world’s first neuromorphic space-grade computer in two months after the launch.”

Mark Ramsey, COO of the Space Machines Company, added, “Space is a tough and unforgiving environment and needs innovative technologies like BrainChip’s Akida and ANT61's Brain to deliver efficient processing and remote learning to adapt to ever-changing environments and mission-critical situations. These innovations can ultimately support Space Machines Company's vision to provide roadside assistance in orbit.”

With the success of the launch behind it, the ANT61 Brain will begin operation in the coming months with plans to refine its robot’s vision system, training with a video directly from the satellite’s cameras. The ANT61 Brain utilizes the AKD1000 of BrainChip’s first-generation Akida technology.

“This has been a great collaborative learning experience with ANT61, and we congratulate them along with Space Machines Company and others involved with the Optimus-1 launch on a phenomenal achievement,” said Sean Hehir, CEO of BrainChip. “As a company that is cultivating a heritage of empowering highly efficient, intelligent sensing and inference devices, we are excited to add space heritage with this launch, but we’re just scratching the surface as our 2nd generation will enable greater support for future mission-critical space operation. The future of autonomy in space is bright.”

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