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Socionext Announces AI Accelerator for Edge Computing
Yokohama, Japan-based Socionext Inc. this week announced what it's calling the Neural Network Accelerator (NNA) engine, which is designed for deep-learning projects, has been "optimized for AI processing on edge computing devices."
"When implemented, it can achieve 100x performance boost compared with conventional processors for computer vision processing such as image recognition," the company stated.
Socionext said it plans to release the NNA later this year, along with an SDK (which will support TensorFlow) and related system-on-a-chip (SoC) products, which is what Socionext is known for. Socionext currently has SoCs on the market for Internet of Things (IoT), high-end graphics, high-speed networking, and visual and audio solutions, among others.
"Target applications [for the NNA] include automotive, in which high-precision object detection of images captured from car cameras, such as pedestrians and bicycles, can be used for driver assistance or automatic parking," the company commented in its announcement of the product.
"Another important application is display systems, such as TV and signage, in which the NNA boosts image recognition for super-resolution processing and helps high-definition imaging for 4K/8K screens."
Edge computing is a method of distributed computing designed to achieve increased real-time performance and bypass bottlenecks by having the processing take place as close to where the data is stored as possible, instead of first moving the data to, for example, a centralized cloud location. It is often seen as an ideal solution for high-data projects with intense and time-sensitive processing needs because of the decrease in latency the architecture promises.
More about the Socionext can be found here. More details about the product will be released in coming months.
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Becky Nagel is the former editorial director and director of Web for 1105 Media's Converge 360 group, and she now serves as vice president of AI for company, specializing in developing media, events and training for companies around AI and generative AI technology. She's the author of "ChatGPT Prompt 101 Guide for Business Users" and other popular AI resources with a real-world business perspective. She regularly speaks, writes and develops content around AI, generative AI and other business tech. Find her on X/Twitter @beckynagel.