Zetane Receives Epic MegaGrant From Games Giant, Epic Games, to Integrate AI Technology Into Modelling and Simulations
Press release: Zetane will use the funds to link its software with Unreal Engine to facilitate the use of machine learning in complex operations, both in the video game industry and beyond.
[Montreal, Canada; June 3, 2021] Zetane Systems today announced that they are recipients of an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games. Zetane will use the $150,000 (USD) to connect its software for industrial applications of machine learning, the Zetane Engine, with Epic’s Unreal Engine, a leading real-time 3D software platform used to produce stunning life-like renderings, rich fantasy worlds, and complex 3D graphics. The future connection will come in the form of an Application Programming Interface (API) plugin, providing a convenient juncture to implement machine learning technology in video gaming and many other industry verticals.
Beyond applications in video games, the connectivity will advance state-of-the-art generation of synthetic data for industrial applications of machine learning using technologies that originate from game development tools. One area of prime utility concerns training AI technology with data generated in life-like video game environments that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. For instance, AI-driven autonomous cars need to learn to avoid colliding with wildlife; acquiring the vast amounts of real-world video data of critters running across autoroutes needed to train AI algorithms is impossible. Generating synthetic videos of such events provides a practical alternative. The future Zetane API plugin will help streamline the use of synthetic data generated by Unreal Engine for training by machine learning algorithms developed with the Zetane Engine. Expanding opportunities to generate quality data with ease will be of immense value to the technology sector since data is currently a limited and expensive commodity that few companies can afford, or have the expertise to amass.
“We express gratitude to Epic Games for this generous Epic MegaGrant. We see the Zetane API for Unreal Engine as the beginning of a long-term collaboration for innovation that will enable our company to speed up our goal to democratize AI in industry. Zetane’s AI software design philosophy combines a detailed 3D work environment with real-time modelling and simulation capabilities and the most transparent and accessible displays of AI on the market, making it a great fit for the over 7.5 million users of Unreal Engine. We can’t wait to see all the creative applications people will put forth once our API is embraced by the gaming community and diverse companies in the tech sector,” said Guillaume Hervé, the CEO and co-founder of Zetane.
“We’re seeing a variety of AI, and particularly machine learning, systems implemented by Unreal Engine developers from across multiple industries and organizations,” said Sébastien Lozé, Simulation & Training Industry Manager at Epic Games. “Connecting machine learning from Zetane Engine to Unreal Engine will simplify the implementation of many simulation application use cases and accelerate the development of autonomous vehicle solutions, as well as the most complex training programs.”
In addition to data, the interconnection between the software platforms aims to soon provide new opportunities to safety test and prototype AI technologies in synthetic environments prior to their deployment in society. Such abilities to assess the performance of unfamiliar technologies will open more opportunities to use AI in critical operations and contexts where trust and confidence are paramount.
The third priority of Zetane is to further develop the application of AI technology within modelling and simulations used to train operators of heavy machinery or transport vehicles, such as flight simulators that are standard in the training of pilots. Bringing modelling and simulations to higher levels of acuity and performance by machine learning techniques remains a priority at the company. Zetane’s previous experience in the field includes prototyping a predictive algorithm for neurosurgical simulation training tool with the National Research Council of Canada and employing Unreal Engine to develop intelligent simulations for the software simulations company, Presagis.
About Zetane Systems
Headquartered in Montreal, Zetane provides the software and services required to de-risk and trust the deployment of AI innovations in industry. Rather than work with abstract computer code, our software provides a detailed visual representation of AI solutions to bridge the gap between AI experts and industry experts in order to support proper testing, validation, debugging, optimization and monitoring of AI. AI experts gain access to many easy-to-use features that save time and eliminate guesswork, and domain experts without expertise in AI can contribute and conduct needed performance and safety audits. The Zetane Viewer is an official visualization software tool for the ONNX.ai Community of the Linux Foundation, available free to download at zetane.com/gallery. Follow @ZetaneSystems for updates.
Press contact
Jason Behrmann
Director of Marketing & Communications
info@zetane.com
