Amazon wants to make Alexa the first personal voice assistant to go to space, as part of the Artemis I mission.
The giant Amazon has chosen not to physically go to CES 2022, which has also been reduced by one day due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, that did not prevent him from making his share of announcements which mainly revolved around Alexa, Fire TV, its subsidiary Ring and Amazon Web Services (AWS). The most “What the f *** As the Americans say, undoubtedly concerns that linked to Alexa, which could well afford a ticket to space.
Alexa will give voice in space
As part of the Artemis I mission, the first in a series aimed at leading humans to explore the Moon (and eventually Mars), Amazon wants to strike hard and transport the gentle Alexa into space. , in 2022. This operation, the firm of Jeff Bezos leads it in collaboration with Lockheed Martin. So how are things going to be organized?
Alexa will join the next mission as part of Callisto, NASA’s Orion spacecraft built-in technology payload, developed by engineers from Lockheed Martin, Amazon and Cisco. Alexa is one of the technologies that will have the privilege of being tested within the Artemis I mission.
Integrating Alexa aboard Orion will provide real feedback to engineers and help explore how voice technology and artificial intelligence that bring the personal assistant to life can help astronauts on future missions. in the space. The first mission will however be unmanned, and the first manned flight is only scheduled for 2023 at best.
The goal of building a useful experience for Alexa users on Earth
It is the case to say it, Amazon sees far with Alexa. The company imagines a future ” where astronauts can turn to on-board AI for information, assistance and companionship “. The collaboration with Lockheed Martin will allow Callisto, Alexa payload, to withstand the shock and vibration from launching and withstand the intense radiation from Van Allen’s belts. For Callisto, Amazon provided acoustic processing software whose algorithms isolate certain noises in order to facilitate voice interactions.
” Callisto is also equipped with Amazon’s local voice control technology, which allows Alexa to operate in areas with limited or no connectivity. », Adds the company. The latter said to be able, thanks to the AI and the processing on board the spacecraft, to bypass the latency resulting from the exchange of information between the Moon and the Earth, thus allowing the astronauts to have access to certain specific information. almost instantaneously.
In addition, Alexa will be able, on Artemis I, to access telemetry data in real time and answer questions such as: ” Alexa, how fast is Orion traveling? ” Where ” Alexa, what’s the temperature in the cabin? The assistant can even offer control of the devices connected on board the spacecraft, up to the management of cabin lighting. And the time spent by Alexa in space is counting to be put to good use by Amazon engineers for customers who remain on Earth, especially those who will call on the assistant in difficult conditions, or in places where a connection internet is not guaranteed.
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Source: Amazon
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