Portable Flow Device using Fourier Ptychography and Deep Learning for Detection of Biosignatures

Completed TRL 3 (started at 2, targeting 3)

Description

For this continuing CIF effort, our primary tasks include: (i) perform high space bandwidth product reconstruction of phase and intensity images; (ii) integrate a microfluidic device; (iii) speed-up the reconstruction process using deep learning; and (iv) deploy an inferencing model on NVIDIA Jetson Nano AI embedded board. A secondary task is to carry out a case study on how we import the inferencing model onto a radiation hard Intel/Movidus Myriad-2 and the Myriad-X (not rad-hard tested to date) AI chips.

Benefits

The search for life is a high-priority science goal for NASA. The detection of life should not rely on a singular measurement, and ideally techniques should be capable of distinguishing between abiosignatures, ambiguous or agnostic biosignatures. Measurements from different instruments on a variety of spatial scales should be used to provide sufficient evidence. The proposed Fourier Ptychographic Microscope with its small size and mass will integrate neatly into a time resolved Raman and fluorescence spectrometer.

Details

Technology area	Sensors and Instruments > Remote Sensing Instruments and Sensors > Detectors and Focal Planes
Program	Center Innovation Fund: GSFC CIF (GSFC CIF)
Lead organization	Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
Start date	2020-10-01
End date	2021-09-30

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

Shahid Aslam — shahid.aslam-1@nasa.gov

How to get involved

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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