The SETI Institute has announced its plan to integrate the innovative NVIDIA IGX Thor platform to improve its real-time quest for extraterrestrial signals at the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) in Northern California.
This partnership marks a significant advancement in radio astronomy by introducing advanced artificial intelligence technology designed for rigorous real-world applications. The ATA, equipped with 42 antennas, meticulously scans the cosmos for radio signals that could indicate significant cosmic events or potentially unveil evidence of intelligent life beyond Earth.
With the capabilities of the NVIDIA IGX Thor platform, the SETI Institute aims to process and analyze these signals directly at the telescope. This approach is expected to significantly shorten the time required to identify unusual or promising data. Luigi Cruz, a Staff Engineer at the SETI Institute, stated, “NVIDIA IGX Thor enables us to run AI inference and GPU-accelerated signal processing workloads closer to the edge. Its compact form factor and power efficiency make it an ideal development platform for our next-generation pipeline, which is based on NVIDIA Holoscan.”
This new initiative builds upon the success of the SETI Institute”s previous collaboration with NVIDIA, which employed the IGX Orin platform for the first real-time AI search for fast radio bursts (FRBs)—brief but intense flashes of radio energy. Transitioning to IGX Thor will enhance these capabilities, allowing researchers to explore larger areas of the sky more quickly and accurately.
Dr. Andrew Siemion, the Bernard M. Oliver Chair for SETI at the SETI Institute, remarked, “By combining scientific curiosity with advanced technology, we”re transforming how we explore the universe. The new NVIDIA platform gives us the reliability and performance to run complex AI models right at the telescope. It”s an incredible step forward for our mission.”
The adoption of the NVIDIA IGX Thor platform is not limited to the SETI Institute; it is being embraced by innovators across various fields, including industrial safety and medical technology. This versatility underscores how breakthrough technology can fuel scientific discovery at the frontiers of space.
Founded in 1984, the SETI Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to interdisciplinary research and education. Its mission focuses on leading humanity”s pursuit to comprehend the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence throughout the universe, sharing this knowledge with the broader community. The institute”s research spans physical and biological sciences, utilizing expertise in data analytics, machine learning, and sophisticated signal detection technologies. It stands as a prominent research partner for various entities, including NASA and the National Science Foundation.
For additional information, contact:
Rebecca McDonald
Director of Communications
SETI Institute
[email protected]
