Kontron Partners with Leading AI Chipmaker Hailo to Launch High-Performance Edge AI Inference Solutions

Kontron’s 2.5” SBC pITX-iMX8M-AI-H8 and KBox A-150-WKL-AI-H8 offer compact, high performance and power-efficient AI solutions combined with best-in-class  Hailo-8™AI accelerator

Ismaning, Germany & Tel Aviv, Israel. November 16, 2021 – Kontron, a leading global provider of IoT/Embedded Computing Technology (ECT), announced today it has forged a strategic technology partnership with leading AI (Artificial Intelligence) chipmaker Hailo to offer next generation AI edge inference solutions. The advanced Hailo-8™ AI processor, performing at 26 tera-operations per second (TOPS) at a typical power consumption of less than 2.5 watts, enables edge devices to run at performance levels previously only possible in the cloud. The strategic collaboration offers customers a new level of high-performance, scalable AI-edge application-ready platforms for a wide range of market segments such as Industry 4.0, smart cities, smart retail and more.

Kontron’s pITX-iMX8M-AI-H8 Arm-based 2.5” SBC and the KBox A-150-WKL-AI-H8 x86-based featuring a range of Intel^® Core™ i processors e.g. 8365UE (formerly Whiskey Lake) for X86-based applications are compact, energy-efficient, fanless high-performance edge compute platforms that seamlessly integrate the best-in-class Hailo-8™ AI-accelerator. Along with preinstalled drivers and BSP, the complete software toolchain is available under Hailo’s developer zone website. Hailo’s developer zone includes numerous pre-trained neural networks (“model zoo”), a bit–accurate simulator and performance tool,  the Hailo dataflow compiler, and the Hailo “Tappas” high performance application toolkit, enabling the highly efficient implementation of innovative AI solutions at reduced time-to-market and engineering costs.

“Our AI strategy at Kontron is to provide scalable, best-in-class IoT/IIoT solutions for a host of different applications and markets. Our strategic technology partnership with Hailo enables us to offer our customers a new level of AI-edge application-ready platforms. The partnership also includes the joint creation of new AI-ready board level products and custom solutions on a project basis” said Christoph Neumann, VP Technology of the Kontron group. “In addition, we offer extensive AI project services, including software application consulting and integration, as well as the training of neural networks via our own data scientists.”

“More and more enterprises require edge AI solutions that ensure their devices are more powerful, versatile, responsive and secure in order to keep up with the growing demand for technological innovation across industries,” said Liran Bar, VP Business Development of Hailo. “Our partnership with Kontron, an undisputed global leader in its field, bolsters our ability to address the growing demand for high-performance and scalable AI-edge application-ready platforms for a range of applications – from inspection systems to robotics to semi-autonomous driving and beyond. Our work with Kontron is taking us one step closer towards ushering in a new era of AI solutions at the edge.”

Hailo will be presenting a live AI demo as a co-exhibitor at the SPS 2021 exhibition on November 23-25. The demo can be seen at the Kontron booth in hall 7, booth 193.