NASA Awards Geisel Software Second Swarming Space Robotics Contract
Geisel Software, a Massachusetts-based custom software development firm, and Arizona State University (ASU) are pleased to announce they have been awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Phase I will focus on identifying and developing intent estimation and intent-expressive motion planning technologies that enable cooperative operation of low-cardinality swarms of space vehicles (e.g., planetary rovers and flyers) in lunar and planetary exploration missions.
“Geisel Software is excited to be working with ASU on this ground-breaking swarming research for NASA,” commented Brian Geisel, Chief Executive Officer at Geisel Software. “This is Geisel Software’s second NASA award in the area of swarming robotics and this new research will help take us a step closer to providing swarming solutions that increase the efficiency of space exploration while decreasing the risk to human explorers.”
“My students and I are also very excited to work with Geisel Software to develop the communicationless coordination technologies for NASA and hopefully, to see this technology being deployed in future lunar or planetary missions,” said Sze Zheng Yong, Ph.D. and assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering in ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, who will serve as principal investigator.
Yong and his team will work in tandem with Geisel Software engineers to develop technologies that will enable communicationless coordination by observing and estimating the actions and intentions of agents in a multiagent system. The research is pivotal in facilitating the deployment of small, low-cost spacecraft that could transport key sensors and instruments to high-risk environments. Behavior and intent estimation capabilities will also remove limitations imposed by high communication latencies, minimizing a swarm’s dependence on ground control and allowing for primarily autonomous operation.
About Geisel Software, Inc.
Founded in 2011, Geisel Software, Inc. is a custom software development company with special expertise in embedded and application software and a passion for staying ahead of the technology curve. Geisel Software’s highly skilled team designs, develops and deploys groundbreaking software solutions in the fields of robotics, medical devices and more. Geisel’s revolutionary thinkers and problem solvers have worked with some of the most visionary companies to deliver world-class web/cloud, mobile, IoT, AI/ML and embedded solutions. Learn more at https://geisel.software.
About the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU
The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, with nearly 25,000 enrolled students, is the largest engineering school in the United States, offering 47 graduate and 25 undergraduate degree programs across seven schools of academic focus. With students, faculty and researchers representing all 50 states and 135 countries, the Fulton Schools of Engineering is creating an inclusive environment for engineering excellence by advancing research and innovation at scale, revolutionizing engineering education and expanding global outreach and partner engagement. The Fulton Schools of Engineering’s research expenditures totaled $115 million for the 2019-2020 academic year. Learn more about the Fulton Schools of Engineering at engineering.asu.edu.
