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Intel Partners with Adlink on Devkit for Industrial Machine Vision AI
Adlink Technology, a provider of IoT and edge computing hardware and services, has announced a partnership with Intel on a development starter kit (devkit) for industrial machine vision artificial intelligence (AI).
Called Vizi-AI, the devkit combines an Intel Atom-based SMARC computer module with the Intel distro of the OpenVINO toolkit and Adlink Edge software. SMARC (Smart Mobility ARChitecture) is a small form factor module definition for applications that require low power, low costs, and high performance. OpenVINO is the open-source toolkit for developing apps that emulate human vision. Adlink's Edge software is designed to enhance the functionality of OpenVINO through the Adlink Data River, which the company describes as "a blueprint for robust, reliable Industrial IoT solutions."
"Machine vision" refers to the technology and methods that provide computers with the ability collect visual information -- to "see." This is accomplished via video cameras, analog-to-digital conversion (ADC), and digital signal processing (DSP). The visual information collected goes to a computer for things like automatic inspection and process control, or to a robot controller as part of a guidance system.
The Vizi-AI devkit was purpose-built for enterprise developers and data scientists. It includes a range of pre-built OpenVINO-compatible machine learning models that can be used out of the box. Developers can connect the devkit with different image capture devices and then deploy and improve machine learning models to gain insight from vision data to optimize operational decision-making.
"We have designed the Vizi-AI devkit as an integrated hardware and software solution which provides users with an ideal starting point to find business value from machine vision AI," said Steve Cammish, VP of Adlink's Edge Solutions group, in a statement, "by enabling easy edge deployment of their machine learning models. This approach can then be scaled for industrial requirements using the same software, but deployed on more powerful hardware as needed."
Vizi-AI fits into Intel's ongoing mission to enable Industrial IoT transformation, said Intel VP Christine Boles.
The devkit also comes with Adlink's Edge Profile builder which provides a simple, intuitive user experience to manage devices and applications, and the Edge Model Manager, which enables users to add their own models to a pre-loaded selection for easy deployment.
Adlink's product portfolio covers a range of devices, gateways, network infrastructure, and cloud services. The company is headquartered in Taiwan, with offices in XX Vizi-AI is also supported by a community where users can find support, pre-built scenarios and other resources.
The devkit is available now through Arrow Electronics in the North America and EMEA regions. Adlink previewed Vizi-AI at Embedded World in February where it was awarded 'Best in Show' for AI and machine learning by Embedded Computing Design.
About the Author
John K. Waters is the editor in chief of a number of Converge360.com sites, with a focus on high-end development, AI and future tech. He's been writing about cutting-edge technologies and culture of Silicon Valley for more than two decades, and he's written more than a dozen books. He also co-scripted the documentary film Silicon Valley: A 100 Year Renaissance, which aired on PBS. He can be reached at [email protected].