The software was created by Opteran, a startup based in the UK.
But the idea originated from research on bugs.
Scientists at the University of Sheffield had been studying the brains of insects.
They discovered remarkable neurological efficiency.
But the bee minds tiny size belies its impressive power.
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Its capable of complex navigation, obstacle avoidance, and communication.
It also functions with formidable energy efficiency.
The researchers believed robots could also benefit from these qualities.
They decided to reverse-engineer the brainalgorithmsinto software for autonomous machines.
They call the concept Natural Intelligence.
In 2019, they founded Opteran to commercialise the research.
The startup soon identified space as an ideal environment for the tech.
Natural intelligence in space
Todays space rovers are often ponderous machines.
It can take them minutes to map their surroundings from multiple cameras before each movement.
Opterans systempromises to cut this down to milliseconds.
Named Opteran Mind, the software offers zero-latency visual depth perception.
After installation, vehicles cancontinuously navigate without the need for extensive data or training.
The tech also minimises power consumption and eliminates heavy tools, such as gimbal-based pan-tilt cameras.
As a result, rovers could drive further and at higher speeds without human intervention.
These capabilities caught the eye of Airbus Defence and Space.
The company is now testing the software in rovers at theAirbus Mars Yard, a simulated Martian environment.
TheEuropean Space Agency(ESA) and the UK Space Agency are supporting the project.
After the initial tests, their focus will shift to deployment and commercialisation.
For Opteran, however, space is just one frontier on the roadmap.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he e(show all)Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse).
