Silesian Research and Development Center for space techniques is being established

The KP Labs company is building a Research and Development Center (CBR) in electronics and space techniques in the New Gliwice area. At the center, highly skilled engineers will conduct industrial research and development work related to small satellites. KP Labs is involved in building the Intuiton-1 satellite, which will be equipped with the world’s most powerful onboard computer and advanced Earth observation instruments. Last year, KP Labs engineers won the top prize in a competition for the best artificial intelligence for interpreting data from satellite images – winning the Copernicus Hackathon, organized by the European Commission.

The complex under construction in Gliwice will include a number of specialized laboratoriesoin science, as well as an observatory (allowing experimental optical communication with satellites), whichowhose dome will be 4.5m in diameter.

– I have no doubt that there are unique challenges ahead that are the dream of many engineersow. Space exploration is a task for the ambitious, and I and zespoł KP Labs to such osob we belong. The establishment of the Research and Development Center is a milestone for us. It will allow us to implement the planoin the construction of a componentow for the satellites we are designingow, including Intuition-1, a subsystem of theow related to data processing, optical communications, and finally satellite autonomyow – comments Michal Baćkowski, Vice President of the Management Board of KP Labs.

The three-story building will house a clean room and a number of laboratoriesow intended for analysis of satellite images and work on algorithms for satellite navigationo(GNC), mission control and planning, systemoin communications, optics, machine learning, assembly and testow systemoin electronic or electromagnetic compatibility EMC2.

– The center will include everything needed to carry out complex but essential work and research in space projects – comments Rafał Żogała, Project Manager managing the construction of the Center.

The cubic capacity of the CBR will be 7065m3, and the usable area of the complex is 2355m2. The project assumes roAlso reducedod green with an area of 136m2, whichory will surround the observatory. Building is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

– We expanded the office building project with the necessary infrastructure to meet the investor’s requirements. There will be an area on the roof for satellite observation and trackingow. An additional feature that allows employees to „A closer look” in the stars is to be a green roof terrace tailored to their needs while maintaining safety rules and complying with current regulationsoin construction – mowi architect Grzegorz Szymczak, project author and owner of MFA Studio.

KP Labs is currently building the Intuition-1 satellite, whichorego to carry out Earth observations using a hyperspectral instrument and advanced on-board data processing based on deep neural networks. This will be the world’s first satellite with the processing power to segment imageow hyperspectral images in orbit. Intuition-1 will be a 6U class satellite, in the shape of a cuboid with dimensions of 10x22x36 cm, and its weight will be approximately 10 kg. It will house a specialized camera with high spectral resolution in the visible light and near-infrared range. By dividing this band into more than 100 channelsow will be able to obtain significantly more information compared to currently existing instruments on the marketow. Increased number of channelsow will allow to increase the quality of satellite images taken, and segmentation of imagesow on board the satellite – on the skroprice of response time to monitored events. Data processed in this wayob will find application in many sectors, such as.:
agriculture (land cover classificationow, forecasting yieldow, crop maps, soil maps, detection of chorob plants, tracking biomass, mapping weedow), forestry (classification of forestow, species determinationow and forest healthow, reforestation planning) or environmental protection (emissions maps, pollution maps wod and soil, land use management and analysisow).

One of the subcontractorsoIn the construction of the satellite is spoFP Instruments.

Teamoengineeroin KP Labs won the Copernicus Hackathon, a competition organized by the European Commission for the best artificial intelligence for interpreting data from imageoin satellite. The winning solution pn. DeepFlow will allow interpreting image data sent by Earth observation satellites for use e.g. In agriculture, industry, health care. This is because it automates the search for relevant information, whichore are „hidden” w rotion of different layers of satellite imagery.

Thanks to DeepFlow’s advanced deep learning technology, computers are able to analyze very large data sets and help discover patterns in hundreds or thousands of images. However, this data requires preparation and further development of theobki, whichora is possible through the use of deep networks and the mechanism of theoin the image correctionoin DeepFlow.

All this makes the time required to obtain information from the observed areasoin is significantly krotszy. Using advanced machine learning technology, the best combinedoł Copernicus Hackathon, with the help of its app, will prepare data from satellite images and subject the images to the necessary processingobce and correction in accordance with the expectations of the recipients of theow.

What is the status of the Research and Development Center? The status is granted on the basis of the Act of May 30, 2008. o someorych forms of support for innovative activities (Dz.U. 2008 No. 116 poz. 730) – consolidated text as amended. An entrepreneur with the status of a research unit has greater opportunities to apply for grants, in someoin which situations it can apply for a higher subsidy than an entrepreneur without CBR status – Funding levels for research units are usually higher than for companies. It also gives the possibility of deducting the costoIn incurred for research and development activities from revenueoin companies. An entrepreneur with CBR status becomes a research unit and can be either an applicant or a service provider in EU competitions, whichore for „ordinary” Entrepreneurs are not available. KP Labs has applied for this status in connection with its research and development activities.

The status of CBR is granted by the Minister of. of the economy (currently the Minister of Entrepreneurship and Technology) on the basis of a request from an entrepreneur whoory want to obtain such status. Status is granted for a maximum of one year, and one must then apply to maintain status. The prerequisite for obtaining the status is an adequate structure of revenueoin the company (the corresponding proc. incomeow must account for revenues from the sale of R&D services produced by them).