Bloomington Company Lands NASA Grant

Bloomington-based Warrant Technologies LLC has received a $100,000 grant from NASA. The company says the funding will go toward artificial intelligence research and advancement in support of space tech development.

Michael Norris, chief executive officer of Warrant Technologies, says the grant will support research in "Deep Neural Net and Neuromorphic Processors for In-Space Autonomy and Cognition." The purpose of the research is to create computer hardware that can execute AI programs with minimal space and power consumption.

Norris says receiving the funding was "the first hurdle that could lead to the design, development, and production of evolvable logic devices here in southern Indiana. This is really exciting and truly cutting-edge technology."

The funding is the first phase of NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. A spokesperson for Warrant Technologies says if the Phase 1 research is successful, the project will move into Phase 2, which will bring additional funding. 

NASA awarded a total of more than $45 million in funding as part of the program. The agency says the research being performed by the businesses receiving funding will help astronauts land on the moon in five years, as well as advance efforts to explore Mars.