Opteran Mind reverse engineers natural brain algorithms for mobile robot autonomy

Current approaches to machine autonomy require a lot of sensor data and expensive compute and often still fail when exposed to the dynamic nature of the real world, according to Opteran. The company earned RBR50 recognition in 2021 for its lightweight Opteran Development kit, which took inspiration from research into insect intelligence.

In December 2023, Opteran commercialized its vision-based approach to autonomy by releasing Opteran Mind. The company, which has a presence in the U.K., Japan, and the U.S., announced that its new algorithms don’t require training, extensive infrastructure, or connectivity for perception and navigation.

This is an alternative to other AI and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), which are based on decades-old models of the human visual cortex, said James Marshall, a professor at the University of Sheffield and chief scientific officer at Opteran. Animal brains evolved to solve for motion first, not points in space, he noted.

Instead, Opteran Mind is a software product that can run with low-cost, 2D CMOS cameras and on low-power compute for non-deterministic path planning. OEMs and systems integrators can build bespoke systems on the reference hardware for mobile robots, aerial drones, and other devices.

“We provide localization, mapping, and collision prediction from robust panoramic, stabilized 3D CMOS camera input,” explained Marshall.

At a recent live demonstration at MassRobotics in Boston, Opteran showed how a simple autonomous mobile robot (AMR) using Opteran Mind 4.1 could navigate and avoid obstacles in a mirrored course that would normally be difficult for other technologies.

The company is currently focusing on AGVs, AMRs, and drones for warehousing, inspection, and maintenance.

“We have the only solution that provides robust localization in challenging environments with scene changes, aliasing, and highly dynamic light using the lowest-cost cameras and compute,” it said.

Opteran is currently working toward safety certifications and “decision engines,” according to Marshall.

Explore the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards 2024.