Artificial intelligence is well on the way to powering everyday functions and devices, and transforming how society lives.

Now, a Boston-based start-up is trying to conquer the next frontier of machine learning — by making a range of products even smarter and more autonomous.



Neurala, which recently raised a whopping $14 million in funding, is a software company looking to bring the AI phenomenon to consumer devices and influence how they operate in real time. According to the company, Neurala's efforts are focused on four major markets: drones, smart cars, cameras and toys.

Founded in 2006 by Heather Ames, Anatoly Gorshechnikov and CEO Massimiliano "Max" Versace, Neurala's flagship product is the Neurala Brain, which utilizes deep learning neural networks to allow objects like drones to recognize and identify things in their environment and take the appropriate action depending on what they see.

Neurala is based on work originally developed for NASA, where the software was earmarked for "use in planetary exploration, where processing power, battery life and communications are limited," the company said recently.

Neurala Brain, which it first put to work for NASA's planetary exploration efforts, enables devices to make decisions right where they need to be made. Using proprietary software, smart products are able to process information and apply it in real time.

Toward that end, toys can eventually be trained to identify their owners, drones can make snap diagnoses of problems while in flight and security cameras can spot potential threats. The kicker is that Neurala's learning software is designed to operate on the device itself — which means it's not reliant on the internet, and doesn't transfer personal information to a third party. At least in theory, a Neurala-powered device may be less susceptible to hacking or data breaches.

"Our vision is that we developed a technology for Mars but we want to bring it down to Earth," CEO Versace told CNBC recently.

