Press Release
Vimotek AB Triumphs in EDF Call as Part of BODYGUARD Project
Lulea, Sweden – May 19, 2024 – Vimotek AB, a leading innovator in autonomous Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO), proudly announces its selection by the European Defence Fund (EDF) as winner of EDF-2023-RA-SPACE-PSA call, been partner in the groundbreaking BODYGUARD project. This project aims to enhance autonomous space situational awareness capabilities onboard satellites, contributing significantly to Europe’s independence and leadership in space.
Project Overview:
The BODYGUARD project, coordinated by Agenium Space (France), is a collaborative initiative involving esteemed partners from across Europe, including entities from Greece, Luxembourg, France, Belgium, Finland, Latvia, Denmark, and Sweden. Vimotek AB’s role in this consortium underscores its expertise and commitment to advancing space technologies.
BODYGUARD is set to revolutionize how space assets detect and counteract threats. The project will develop autonomous systems capable of identifying vulnerabilities and neutralizing potential threats using advanced technologies such as robotics and laser systems. This initiative will significantly boost Europe’s strategic autonomy in space defence.
Vimotek AB’s Contribution:
Vimotek AB will leverage its extensive experience providing next contributions to the project:
- system design with focus on automation and autonomy,
- close proximity sensors design and risk-reduction testing, incl. LiDAR,
- algorithm of autonomous detection of rendezvous and docking trajectories, adopted by incoming hostile vessel,
- algorithm of automatic countermeasure application,
- analysis of scenarios, simulating using DTWIN, with focus on GNC and close proximity operations,
- performances measurement of AI-algorithms on the edge of sensors.
The company’s cutting-edge technology and innovative approach will be crucial in achieving the BODYGUARD project’s ambitious goals.
Statements:
“We are honoured to be a part of the BODYGUARD project, which represents a significant step forward in autonomous space assets protection capabilities. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to enable space industrialization, as security is vital for future space economy,” said Anatoliy Valentirov, CEO of Vimotek AB.
About the European Defence Fund:
The EDF aims to foster a more integrated and capable European Defence Technological and Industrial Base by investing in collaborative R&D projects. The 2023 EDF call has allocated over €1 billion to 54 projects, emphasizing strategic priorities such as space communications, cyber defense, and ISR capabilities.
About Vimotek AB
Vimotek is Lulea based space startup, currently an incubation company of ESA BIC Sweden and Arctic Business, developing solutions for space automation and enabling efficient space industrialization. We deliver machine vision, sensing, motion control and computing with edge-AI for Aerospace and Defence. Rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) for space is major focus for Vimotek today.
For more information, please visit www.vimotek.space or contact us via LinkedIn