Frontgrade unveils GRAIN space chip series with neuromorphic AI integration

Frontgrade unveils GRAIN space chip series with neuromorphic AI integration
by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) Apr 03, 2025

Frontgrade Gaisler has secured a major contract from the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA) to commercialize what it says is the first neuromorphic System on Chip (SoC) specifically designed for use in space. This device anchors the company's new GRAIN series, short for Gaisler Research Artificial Intelligence NOEL-V, and reflects Frontgrade's effort to push advanced, energy-saving AI deeper into orbital and deep space missions.

The debut product in the GRAIN line is the GR801 SoC, which merges Frontgrade Gaisler's NOEL-V RISC-V processor with the Akida neuromorphic processor developed by BrainChip. This integration combines high-efficiency event-driven AI processing with a radiation-hardened architecture, tailored for deployment in the power- and size-constrained environments of space hardware.

Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology is actively contributing to the GR801 rollout by designing a demonstrator application. This test case directly connects a neuromorphic sensor to the new chip, showcasing the potential of onboard inference and AI-based decision-making without the need for ground intervention.

With the GRAIN platform, Frontgrade Gaisler aims to bolster AI capabilities for applications like autonomous navigation, real-time processing, environmental monitoring, and space object detection. These innovations are expected to enable both government and commercial missions to operate more independently while staying within tight power and mass limits.

"Our latest innovation opens new avenues and complements our existing range of proven and reliable processing products," said Sandi Habinc, General Manager at Frontgrade Gaisler. "GRAIN is an exciting new pursuit for Gaisler because we are well positioned to enable new capabilities for real-time data processing, autonomous navigation, Earth observation, and object detection and tracking."

"Our continued collaboration with Frontgrade Gaisler to incorporate Akida IP into space SoCs showcases the importance of having environmentally hardened solutions, already proven to perform in the most extreme conditions," said Sean Hehir, CEO of BrainChip. "We have worked hard to ensure our neuromorphic technology can meet the low-energy, low-latency, high-performance needs of GRAIN and other space-based devices in order to provide AI at - and beyond - the edge."

The company unveiled the GRAIN product family at the 2025 RISC-V in Space Workshop held in Gothenburg, Sweden. This annual event draws attention to how open-standard RISC-V architectures are being deployed across satellite systems and future deep space initiatives.