Synaptics Incorporated (Synaptics) announced on Thursday, January 2, 2025, that it is partnering with Google on Edge AI for IoT to define the optimal implementation of multimodal processing for context-aware computing. The collaboration will integrate Google's MLIR-compliant machine learning (ML) core with Synaptics' Astra AI-Native compute platform with open-source software and tools.
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Transforming Edge AI with Multimodal Processing
The partnership aims to accelerate the development of AI devices for the IoT that support the processing of vision, image, voice, sound, and other modalities that provide context for interactivity in applications such as wearables, appliances, entertainment, embedded hubs, monitoring, and control across consumer, enterprise, and industrial systems.
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Synaptics' Astra Platform
The Synaptics Astra platform for IoT features low-power, scalable silicon for the device Edge paired with open-source software and tools, designed to support vision, voice, sound, and other context-enabling modalities. According to the official release, Google's ML core provides efficient, open-source machine learning capabilities optimised for the power, performance, and cost requirements of Edge AI.
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"We are on the brink of a transformative era in Edge AI devices, where innovation in hardware and software is unlocking context-aware computing experiences that redefine user engagement," said Vikram Gupta, Senior Vice President and General Manager of IoT Processors, Chief Product Officer at Synaptics. "Our partnership with Google reflects a shared vision to leverage open frameworks as a catalyst for disruption in the Edge IoT space."
"Synaptics' embrace of open software and tools and proven AI hardware makes the Astra portfolio a natural fit for our ML core as we ramp to meet the uniquely challenging power, performance, cost, and space requirements of Edge AI devices," said Billy Rutledge, Director of Systems Research in Google Research."
