Kneron, a leading AI chip and software developer, has set its sights on the lucrative autonomous vehicle sector following the conclusion of a number of strategic partnerships. The company has teamed up with Weltrend, a leading semiconductor company, Elan/Avisonic, a human interface solutions provider, and OTUS, a leading camera solutions provider. As a result, Kneron claims it is now well positioned to provide AI solutions for consumer products that can be used off the shelf, and also for the aftermarket segment of the AV supply chain.
In particular, the partnerships will enable Kneron to deliver advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for use in AVs, powered by its first-generation AI chip, the KL520, in combination with Weltrend’s own smart camera chip that powers optical flow computing algorithms, and Elan/Avisonic’s object detection algorithms.
The KL520, which can power everything from a Tesla to a toaster, enjoys a small power footprint, making it a good fit for the automotive industry, where power efficiency is a key requirement. Kneron says its AI solutions combine low latency and instant inferencing, making them ideal for ADAS.
It also claims its ADAS can deliver a 70% improvement in the distance of detection, and can identify not just an object, but also whether the object is coming closer, moving further away or staying static. The company says its ADAS can also now send an early alert if an object is moving toward the vehicle and decrease false alarms. This will demonstrably improve ease of parking and reduce crashes, increasing driver and passenger safety.
Kneron has also partnered with OTUS, a leading camera solutions provider, to offer an off-the-shelf 360° dashcam solution for cars that do not come equipped with ADAS. Now equipped with the KL520, the OTUS dashcam can identify objects and alert the driver, ensuring more drivers can benefit from AI assistance.
“We are pleased to announce another major partnership in the automotive industry, as we welcome strategic investment from Weltrend,” said Albert Liu, founder and CEO of Kneron. “This follows our announcement in January that we have partnered with and received investment from Foxconn to work on implementing our low-power, low-cost AI solutions in the automotive industry. Autonomous vehicles are a fertile innovation that can be positively impacted by the introduction of edge AI technologies, increasing driver and passenger safety.”
“We are excited to partner with Kneron as we work to improve our ADAS for autonomous vehicles,” added Sam Lin, CEO of Weltrend. “Implementing Kneron’s AI technology will allow us to improve the efficacy of our systems while reducing the cost, thereby promoting wider adoption and increasing the performance and safety of autonomous vehicles.”
Kneron says its edge AI solutions are advantageous for AV manufacturers because edge AI is faster than cloud-reliant AI as it allows data to be processed on the low-power chips in the car, rather than needing to be sent to the cloud and back.