Intel powers first satellite with AI on board - SatellitePro ME

American technology company Intel has announced its contribution to a satellite named PhiSat-1 by powering it with an onboard artificial intelligence (AI), thanks to an Intel Movidius Myriad 2 Vision Processing Unit (VPU). The AI software that runs on the Intel Myriad 2 on PhiSat-1, was created by Irish startup Ubotica, which worked with the hardware maker behind the hyperspectral camera. The satellite was launched last month along with 45 other similarly small satellites as part of Arianespace's first rideshare demonstration mission. The VPU is the same chip which can be found inside many smart cameras and even a $99 selfie drone. PhiSat-1 is actually one of a pair of satellites on a mission to monitor polar ice and soil moisture, while also testing inter-satellite communication systems in order to create a future network of federated satellites.