As part of a broader government initiative to harness Canadian expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Canadian Space Agency is looking to assess and develop a roadmap for the use of AI and Augmented Reality (AR) in the space robotics sector.
Specifically, the CSA is looking for “a detailed description of the most viable AI and AR space robotics related technologies and applications.”
Proposals are due by October 30, 2020. The contract would be valued at no more than $60k and the assessment would need to be completed by March 31, 2021.
Introduction
As outlined in Federal Budget 2017, there is a need to grow Canada’s advantage in Artificial Intelligence (AI). A combination of strong public support for research programs and world class expertise at Canadian universities and start-up companies has helped to propel Canada to a leadership role in AI and deep learning. Canada aims to retain and attract top academic talent, and to increase the number of post- graduate trainees and researchers studying in these fields. The $125 million Pan-Canadian AI Strategy announced in March 20171 will also promote collaboration between Canada’s main centers of expertise in Montreal, Toronto-Waterloo and Edmonton. Additionally, Canada’s new partnership in the NASA-led Lunar Gateway announced in February 20192,3 will invest $2.05 billion over 24 years to help Canadian businesses and academic institutions use and test new technologies in lunar orbit and on the surface of the Moon in the fields of health, AI and robotics. These investments will build on existing AI advancements and create a critical mass of talent necessary for Canadian businesses to succeed in changing markets.
The Government of Canada investment of up to $950 million over five years announced in November 20174 by the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (ISED) will support industry-led innovation superclusters across the country and accelerate economic growth, productivity, and competitiveness across five Superclusters. As an industry-led consortium, the Supercluster will leverage BC’s strengths and position Canada as a global hub for digital technology innovation, generating new jobs, growing GDP and increasing Canada’s global competitiveness through the application of data analytics, quantum computing, and Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR) and Augmented Reality (AR). Additionally, NASA has already adopted the Microsoft Hololens AR Head Mounted Display (HMD) technology with two units already on board the International Space Station (ISS).5 NASA is ready to consider making these units temporarily available to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) for the purpose of a technology demonstration on board the station.
To support these objectives, the CSA aims to better understand the potential applications and impact of AI & AR within the Canadian space robotics sector. The information gathered will serve to define a cohesive approach and guide Canada’s future investments in space robotics technology development.
For the purpose of this contract, the CSA is expecting, should any single organization not have both AI and AR expertize and customers, that two or more organizations will collaborate, to provide a single proposal with each organization contributing either AI or AR expertize to the proposed team.
The AI & AR roadmap will need to include the following:
- Identify key Canadian strengths and actors, drivers of change, and technology enablers, related to AI & AR, that could shape the future of the Canadian space robotics sector;
- Engage leading AI and AR researchers and scientists in relevant domains to provide strategic guidance and support the assessment;
- Define a set of space robotics related opportunity areas for the application of AI & AR based on the significance of the problems identified, the available data, and existing AI & AR models;
- Review, understand and provide recommendations about the AppHolo concept proposed by the CSA’s Space Exploration Operations and Infrastructure group to leverage AI & AR for use within the Canadian Space Station Program to support the training, planning, operating and trending of the Canadarm2 which is located on board the International Space Station (ISS).
- Generate AI & AR enabled value propositions/concepts that could enable or transform the space robotics sector over the long-term;
- Develop a detailed description of the most promising near-term AI & AR space robotics related technologies and applications and outline an implementation plan concerning how they can be leveraged to;
- Deliver the training to astronauts and ground crew on how to use the Canadarm2;
- Support the astronauts and ground crew during mission planning and actual operation of the Canadarm2;
- Trend the performance of the Canadarm2 to detect and flag anomalies to the astronauts and ground crew.
- Prioritize AI & AR opportunity areas based on strategic relevance, feasibility and value created for the Canadian space robotics sector;
- Establish alignment between prioritized AI & AR opportunity areas and Canadian strategic goals in the space robotics sector;