A conversation on the growing need of space-data to move towards a new connected age
“Space-based approach allows persistently mapping any geography, including remote or evolving areas un-mappable by other means. The data thrown down from space systems will become the eyes and ears of smart mobility”, says Andrew Peterson, CEO and Co-Founder, Array Labs, in an exclusive interview with Geospatial World.
Could you delineate the key trends that are driving the future of mobility?
The future of mobility is unfolding along three intertwined paths: a shift to EVs, an incremental march towards autonomous driving, and the rapid growth of computerized, network-connected cars. While we are on the cusp of all three seismic shifts, today’s realities temper our excitement.
Adoption of EVs is starting to look like an S-curve, with early adopters having already electrified. And the switch to electric powertrains poses new labor and supply chain challenges. Then, obviously, we have also seen that reaching true autonomy is staggeringly difficult, technologically, financially, and societally speaking. True connectivity has proven to pose quite a challenge for most OEMs not named Tesla.
Array Labs aims to support these paradigm shifts by contributing to both upstream development and downstream applications. Upstream, we believe our digital surface and terrain models can assist supply chain players in sourcing and processing essential materials, such as lithium, nickel, and graphite.
Our frequent remap capability could also help companies track and monitor assets across a far-flung, global network of sites and facilities.
“Providing geospatial data is about creating a living digital infrastructure that can support current logistics, urban development, and the incremental evolution towards autonomous transport”
We also think our data could be helpful for energy infrastructure players looking to deploy new charging stations, energy storage plants etc.
We are laser-focused on creating mapping data and intelligence from our highly differentiated satellite swarms and 3D data products, which will enable automated and autonomous vehicles.
These maps are not just for the vehicles of tomorrow but are increasingly relevant today as they help Level 4 robotaxis and autonomous Class 8 trucks with planning, perception, and localization. Lightweight versions of these maps also enhance driver assistance systems, underpin EV range estimation, and optimize logistics.
That’s what we are calling Phase 1 of our mobility engagement roadmap – developing workflows for pre-processed, lightweight 3D data layers that our customers can directly ingest.
We will deliver this data to OEMs, tech developers, auto suppliers, and logistics companies that are already proficient with point clouds, and capable of that nuanced analysis that will turn our data feed into actionable navigation information for their autonomous systems that is impossible for them to obtain from anywhere else.
Array Maps envisions building a 3D map of the entire globe for the age of connected and autonomous vehicles. Please tell us more about it?
Array Labs’ vision is highly ambitious but grounded in the realities of today’s technology and market readiness. We are not developing anything that’s still in a basic research phase – or still being tinkered with in a lab. Everything we are working on has already been proven out on orbit, and flown in space.
Our breakthrough is an innovative satellite architecture that effectively simulates a massive radar aperture. Array’s satellites will fly in formation. Our distributed radars will work in conjunction to image the same place on Earth from many different angles simultaneously.
On the back end, our cloud infrastructure and image formation algorithms will automatically pull down radar readings and build a 3D point cloud of the planet – and then turn that data into incredible intelligence about our world on a daily basis
We can map massive swaths of the planet in one satellite pass at an unprecedented resolution: 20cm by 20cm by 5cm. That last axis, denoting vertical resolution, is a paradigm shift for remote sensing from space. Furthermore, our first cluster will also have enormous capacity, as it will be technically capable of capturing 2 million square kilometres per day.
We aren’t just creating static maps, but developing a dynamic mapping system that captures and processes changes on Earth’s surface. To start, in 2026, we will be capable of re-mapping key areas of interest (aka, the areas of Earth where 95% of humans live) every 10 to 14 days.
When it comes to 3D maps, previous approaches have missed the mark in coverage, refresh rate, or affordability. We overcome these constraints by pioneering an entirely new distributed model.
What we’re bringing to the table is aerial LiDAR-grade imaging capabilities, at the scale and speed of a global satellite constellation. This would be of interest to the automotive, mapping, insurance, and self-driving industries, among others.
How crucial will geospatial and space data be in building durable, sustainable infrastructure for the era of autonomous mobility?
Advanced mobility fundamentally requires understanding the physical world. That means accurate, frequently updated geospatial data is absolutely crucial. What we are providing is a critical layer of intelligence that autonomous systems need to operate in our living, changing physical world.
Space-based approach allows persistently mapping any geography, including remote or evolving areas unmappable by other means.
Our radar sensors will beam down high-res 3D scans day or night, unimpeded by weather or clouds, 24/7 and 365 days a year.
We believe our data will become a new source of ground truth for current and next-gen autonomous systems to operate reliably (nearly) anywhere.
We are focused on providing the high-fidelity data that is essential for these systems. Our technology ensures that the infrastructure supporting autonomous mobility is robust, with an ever-vigilant eye from space that keeps the terrestrial data it relies on current and comprehensive.
Transportation is considered a sector slow to advanced tech adoption, but now EO data, 5G connectivity, and AI & ML algorithms are veritably re-fueling it. What do you think the sector will look like in years to come, and do you foresee a closer synergy between New Space and Smart Mobility?
I anticipate a deepening relationship between the space and mobility sectors. That said, we know that the transition to a new mobility paradigm is neither inevitable nor without challenges. It requires significant investment, has long lead times, and needs deep, cross-cutting integration.
We are engineers at heart. We deeply appreciate the levels of reliability, robustness, and resiliency that a technology must have to be considered “auto-grade.” Moving fast and breaking things doesn’t cut it in mobility.
Though, auto players aren’t necessarily laggards in tech adoption and digital transformation. Array Labs sees space as a critical enabler of this transformation. The data thrown down from space systems will become the eyes and ears of smart mobility.
For instance, 5G networks will rely on satellite systems to extend their coverage beyond urban areas, and EO data will be crucial for the environmental monitoring that informs smart city planning and management. I foresee a future where the barrier between space and terrestrial mobility continues to dissolve.
Our approach to providing geospatial data is about creating a living digital infrastructure that can support current logistics, urban development, and the incremental evolution towards autonomous transport.
It’s about recognizing the constraints and still finding ways to deliver value now, ensuring that when the world is ready to take the next step, the data foundation we have built will support it robustly, scalably, and sustainably.
What are Array’s plans for the year ahead?
Where do I even start? Kidding aside, in recent months, Array Labs finished designing our constellation, validated our SAR technology on the ground, generated and refined our first 3D images, and built the core team that we’ll need to deliver our technology to the world.
In the coming year, Array Labs will accelerate on all fronts as we work toward our 2026 goal of launching our first full satellite cluster. In 2024, we expect to double headcount, build our first four spacecraft, and continue refining our data pipeline and image “autofocus” algorithms.
On the commercial side, we’ll be rolling out the Array Labs Launch Partner Program next year, signing our lighthouse corporate customers, getting synthetic data into their hands, and proving out workflows with them. That way, we’ll be ready to go in 2026 when we launch the full cluster and space-collected production data starts hitting the ground.
Investment in software will be another focus area. We’re closely watching the latest with foundation models and studying how they could fit within our stack. In addition, we’re working on more sophisticated algorithms for data processing and analysis to provide actionable insights directly to users. This is not just about collecting data; it’s about making it useful, accessible, and actionable.
As far as mobility goes…stay tuned on announcements from us as we continue to develop relationships and forge partnerships across that ecosystem.
Oh, and one last thing: Array Labs is going to space next year!
