Nasa awards Geisel Software grant to develop multi-robot perception

Geisel Software, a Massachusetts-based custom software development firm, has partnered with Fayetteville State University to perform research funded by NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project Space Technology Artemis Research grant.

The grant will fund Active and On-demand Multi Robot Perception research designed to develop multi-robot perception, a technology that utilizes highly specialized image sensors, to support NASA’s use of autonomous multi-robot systems performing scouting missions on the surface of the Moon or other planets.

NASA established M-STAR to strengthen the research capacity and infrastructure of minority serving institutions (MSIs) in areas of strategic importance to NASA and to enhance the capabilities of MSIs to participate in Space Technology Mission Directorate funding opportunities.

Within academia, MSIs represent and shape talent historically overlooked in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. By investing in MSIs, NASA aims to seek different perspectives and build a more diverse and competitive workforce for the agency and the nation.

Brian Geisel, CEO at Geisel Software, says: “Partnering with Fayetteville State is a natural fit.

“We both bring strong backgrounds in computer science and software with an especially strong focus on robotics. Our unique background in ground-based robotics, swarming robotics, mobility and sensors adds experience from both DoD and commercial companies that are advancing the state of the art.”

Dr Sambit Bhattacharya is a Professor of Computer Science in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at NCFSU and will serve as principal investigator on the project.

He and his team will work in tandem with Geisel Software engineers to develop technologies that will help provide situational awareness for exploration robots, human-assistive robots, and autonomous spacecraft.