The Rashid self-propelled robot is equipped with a Canadian machine learning system to help make movement decisions, and is expected to land on the Moon in April 2023.
A machine learning system from Canadian space technology company Mission Control Space Services (MCSS) will land on the lunar surface with the UAE’s Rashid autonomous robot. Rashid was launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on December 11, 2022. According to the plan, the Hakuto-R lander built by Japanese company ispace will carry Rashid and land in the Atlas crater on the surface of the Moon in April 2023.
The United Arab Emirates’ Rashid robot will take Canadian artificial intelligence (AI) to the Moon.
The United Arab Emirates’ Rashid robot will take Canada’s artificial intelligence (AI) to the Moon. (Photo: Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center)
Rashid is responsible for finding minerals and other elements of interest on the surface of the Moon. MCSS said the machine learning system would provide information to help the robot make decisions. This is a notable milestone because previously no AI had gone beyond low Earth orbit.
If successful, this technology will play an important role in NASA’s lunar exploration activities, according to MCSS CEO Ewan Reid. “AI will become an essential decision support tool for space vehicles”, Reid said. New technologies not only help search for water on the Moon, but also make observations of Earth more efficient.
Rashid is expected to operate for approximately one lunar day (equivalent to 29 Earth days) on the surface of this celestial body. The robot probably won’t be able to survive the lunar night, but that’s not a problem for the MCSS because it’s just a test mission. It will make full use of the precious time spent on the Moon.
MCSS will receive Rashid’s navigation images via Hakuto-R. This landing station is responsible for communication with Earth. With the MCSS algorithm, each pixel in the image will be classified into a certain terrain type.
“The output data will be transmitted to the ground. The team of scientists and engineers in our Ottawa office, as well as other Canadian universities, use this data to decide whether the robot is autonomous or not. Where should we go ?”, explains Reid. Future missions will develop further, once the team of experts is sure that the AI knows how to distinguish important minerals and features like rocks or depressions.
Article source: VnExpress
If there is an error with the UAE robot preparing to test the first AI article on the Moon, or if the content is incorrect, please contact us so we can correct it.
Keyword:
The Rashid self-propelled robot is equipped with a Canadian machine learning system to help make movement decisions, and is expected to land on the Moon in April 2023.
