Consortium Awarded Grant for ENORMITY Space Project
Consortium Awarded Grant for ENORMITY Space Project
Collaboration Between Klepsydra Technologies, Ramon.Space, and ETHZ
A consortium formed by Klepsydra Technologies, Ramon.Space, and ETHZ has been awarded a grant co-funded by InnoSuisse, a Switzerland government agency and Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), for the ENORMITY Space Project. This project represents a collaborative effort to push AI innovation that will drive the space industry.
This collaboration brings together the expertise of Klepsydra Technologies AG, a leader in high-performance AI software based in Switzerland, and Ramon.Space, a leading provider of high-performance rad-hard space computers, and the Center for Project Based Learning from ETHZ in Switzerland.
The ENORMITY project will build the Klepsydra AI framework using Ramon.Space’s rad-hard computing processor enabling artificial intelligence for autonomous satellites and spacecraft. It includes the integration of on-board feature detection and cognitive instruments for AI applications in Earth observation, telecom, navigation and defense satellites, and landing capabilities for planetary missions, and increased autonomy for In-Orbit Service missions.
Satellites currently face challenges in fully leveraging AI due to issues with AI accelerator ICs unable to withstand harsh radiation conditions in space, leading to processing errors, reboots, and premature failures. Additionally, existing rad-hard processing ASICs present programming difficulties due to their specific architectures.
For the first time, ENORMITY will combine an easy-to-program and user-friendly software framework with powerful rad-hard space-resilient processors. This innovation marks a significant leap forward in overcoming the limitations that have hindered the integration of AI in space systems.