Researchers at a UK-based start up company are producing brains for robots that incorporate decision making likened to the minds of insects.

Opteran, which specialises in natural intelligence, is situated in Sheffield and has received significant funding to develop brains made out lightweight silicon to enhance a variety of abilities such as real-time autonomous decision making for autonomous vehicles, drones and robots.

To achieve the full potential in autonomy, Opteran said that focussing its design of the brain around that of an insect’s is appropriate due to their practical methods of decision making and navigation.

The latest round of funding for this project was partly provided by IQ Capital, an early stage technology venture fund based in Cambridge.

A partner of IQ Capital, Ed Stacey, said, “We are delighted to be supporting them at the start of their commercial journey and are excited to see the technology they create and the role it plays in the wider AI market in the years ahead”.

“2021 will be the year when natural intelligence will challenge deep learning in solving some of the most fundamental shortcomings in autonomous applications and this funding round will set Opteran on a path to be at the forefront of this next wave”, said David Rajan, who is the Chief Executive of Opteran.