The SETI Institute will deploy the NVIDIA IGX Thor platform at the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) in Northern California to accelerate real-time detection of radio signals from space. This upgrade advances the ATA's technology, equipping its 42 antennas to process and interpret radio signals directly on-site using edge AI processing.
With NVIDIA IGX Thor, scientists can conduct AI inference a by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 29, 2025
The SETI Institute will deploy the NVIDIA IGX Thor platform at the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) in Northern California to accelerate real-time detection of radio signals from space. This upgrade advances the ATA's technology, equipping its 42 antennas to process and interpret radio signals directly on-site using edge AI processing.
With NVIDIA IGX Thor, scientists can conduct AI inference and GPU-accelerated signal analysis at the telescope. According to Luigi Cruz, Staff Engineer at the SETI Institute, this enables a next-generation processing pipeline driven by NVIDIA Holoscan. "NVIDIA IGX Thor enables us to run AI inference and GPU-accelerated signal processing workloads closer to the edge," said Cruz. "Its compact form factor and power efficiency makes it an ideal development platform for our next-generation pipeline, which is based on NVIDIA Holoscan."
This installation builds upon previous success with NVIDIA IGX Orin, which powered the first real-time AI search for fast radio bursts. Transitioning to IGX Thor expands this capacity, allowing faster and more comprehensive sky surveys with improved accuracy.
Dr. Andrew Siemion, Chair for SETI at the SETI Institute, stated, "By combining scientific curiosity with advanced technology, we're transforming how we explore the universe. The new NVIDIA platform gives us the reliability and performance to run complex AI models right at the telescope. It's an incredible step forward for our mission."
The IGX Thor platform is used in various sectors, including industry and medicine, with the SETI Institute demonstrating its function in scientific discoveryRelated Links
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