The research groups of Tokyo Institute of Technology and the University of Tokyo have developed "DLAS", an experimental device for earth sensors and star trackers that applies deep learning.It will be installed on the first small demonstration satellite "RAPIS-1" under the program of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The "Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program" promoted by JAXA is a program that provides equipment and components developed by private companies and universities, microsatellite, and CubeSat (dice-type satellite) with opportunities for space demonstration.The research group has been working on attitude stabilization and image analysis for observations in outer space.
The start tracker is an attitude meter that can determine the attitude with high accuracy using a star as a reference point. This time, a commercially available camera for machine vision and a microcomputer are combined to identify each star.The identification algorithm is an improved version of the conventional method and developed independently.Although the earth sensor has low accuracy, it is possible to estimate the attitude from the image of the earth that can always be seen from the satellite.Two portable ultra-compact cameras are installed on the baffle of the star lacquer.The image classifier combined with this was developed to achieve high accuracy even at a limited calculation speed.
The artificial satellite RAPIS-1 will be mounted on JAXA's rocket Epsilon rocket No. 2019 on January 1, 17, and will be launched from JAXA Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture.The DLAS to be installed is a low-cost start tracker space operation demonstration using inexpensive and high-performance consumer products, the world's first real-time in-orbit satellite image recognition experiment using deep learning, and application of that technology. We will demonstrate the space of satellite three-axis attitude measurement technology by terrain pattern recognition.
With DLAS, the research group aims to expand the market for satellite-mounted parts by promoting technology originating in Japan in the new space industry field using ultra-small artificial satellites that are developing rapidly.
