Western Sydney University builds world-first space imaging system

By on 26 February, 2019

Western Astrosite project – Event based Neuromorphic Space imaging mobile facility takes shape

Western Sydney University’s International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems (ICNS) has build a mobile event-based camera system that can deliver unprecedented temporal resolution when capturing objects in space.

Describing the unit as a mobile space situational awareness (SSA) module, director of ICNS Professor André van Schaik said that the technology had a range of applications.

“With tens of thousands of man-made objects currently orbiting in space, the risk of collision between debris, satellites and spacecraft is real. This has become a serious concern not only for organisations with a commercial interest in space, but also for national and international defence agencies.

“By using technology inspired by nature and biology, we have developed a dynamic imaging system that runs faster, computes more efficiently, uses far less power and produces less data than anything currently on the market,” he said.

The camera system developed by ICNS uses biologically-inspired event-based cameras to overcome traditional limitations of exposure and saturation, allowing the AstroSite system to capture high-speed space phenomena during the day, from the ground.

Such capabilities have obvious defence applications, with the AstroSite project’s development supported by the RAAF’s Project Jericho.

Western Sydney University’s International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems is a new research centre and part of the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development that combines expertise from the fields of electrical engineering, computer science, signal processing, and neuroscience.

The team will be displaying the AstroSite system at the Avalon air show from February 26 – March 3.

Stay up to date by getting stories like this delivered to your mailbox.
Sign up to receive our free weekly Spatial Source newsletter.

You may also like to read:


, , , , , , , , , , ,


Newsletter

Sign up now to stay up to date about all the news from Spatial Source. You will get a newsletter every week with the latest news.

Interview: Tori Murrant, GIS analyst
Having stumbled across the geospatial sector at university, ...
Testing SouthPAN and commercial GNSS services
UNSW surveying students were challenged to put a range of So...
Here’s what’s in our latest issue!
Learn about the metaverse, mapmaking, 3D scanning, RINEX, hy...
Modern Methods of Construction Roadshow
The events will show how the latest software, tools and tech...
Real-time LiDAR mapping system
The Brumby LiDAR rapidly produces point clouds by removing t...