Artificial Intelligence (AI) and edge computing in space – with Unibap

Podcast

Episode 11 of the Space Industry podcast is a discussion with Unibap about some of the latest advances in edge computing, machine learning, and other AI technologies on-board satellites.

In this episode we speak with Fredrik Bruhn from Unibap AB. Unibap is a Sweden-based computer system technology developer creating AI and computing technologies to support advanced automation systems for industries on Earth and in space. We discuss:

  • How AI and machine learning can be integrated and used in space applications.
  • The benefits that such advances can bring to Earth Observation (EO) missions and services, in order to develop actionable information that drives autonomous operations and other systems.
  • How existing computing concepts have driven advances in satellite systems.
  • The development of a complementary ground segment ecosystem that is supporting emerging capabilities in orbit.
  • How more advanced systems in satellites will enable the better use of ground-based computing resources.

About Unibap’s products

The Unibap SpaceCloud® OS is a Linux-based operating system designed for space applications. Together with Unibap's software framework, and a wide application suite, it facilitates simple and reliable execution of Edge Computing, Autonomous Operations, and Cloud Computing in space. SpaceCloud OS’s Linux heritage combined with its reliability and robustness enables rapid software development for a wide variety of users, including those without previous space experience.

The Unibap SpaceCloud iX5-106 is designed for space applications. The iX5 family is Unibap’s most power-efficient and reliable computer solution for large and small spacecraft. It combines radiation tolerance and flight heritage, boasting a proven TRL 9 maturity. The iX5-106 model features an AMD Steppe Eagle Quad-core x86-64 CPU and AMD Radeon GPU paired with SATA SSD storage, a Microsemi SmartFusion2 FPGA, and an Intel Movidius Myriad X Vision Processing Unit.

Unibap provides Application Development Systems to enable mission customers to get a head start in their software development, and third-party SpaceCloud® users to create new applications. The iX5 and iX10 Application Development Systems (ODE and ADS-W and ADS-X, respectively) contain the same CPU and GPU architectures as our engineering and flight models with an easy-to-start HW design.

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