New breed of neural network acceleration SoCs puts AI at the edge and enterprise

BrainChip has introduced a production spiking neural network architecture – the Akida Neuromorphic System-on-Chip (NSoC) – to market. This architecture claims to position BrainChip as the front in acceleration for AI at the edge and the enterprise. The device is small, low cost and low power, making it perfect for edge applications such as ADAS, autonomous vehicles, vision-guided robotics, drones, surveillance and machine vision systems. Its scalability enables users to network many of the Akida devices together to achieve complex neural network training and inferencing for many markets including cybersecurity, agricultural technology and financial technology. “The artificial intelligence acceleration chipset marketplace is expected to surpass US$60 billion by 2025,” said Aditya Kaul, research director at Tractica, a leading market intelligence firm with a specialisation in AI. “Neuromorphic computing holds significant promise to accelerate AI, especially for low-power applications. As many of the technical hurdles are resolved, the industry will see the deployment of a new class of AI-optimised hardware over the next few years.” “Despite their best efforts, no other company, large or small, has managed to bring a neuromorphic computing chip to market in production volumes,” said Lou DiNardo, BrainChip CEO. “Akida, which is Greek for ‘spike,’ represents the first in a new breed of hardware solutions for AI. Artificial intelligence at the edge is going to be as significant and prolific as the microcontroller. With the Akida NSoC, BrainChip is forging that path and leading the way. Our recent announcement of the Akida Development Environment is now followed by a detailed architectural description. We are collaborating with major global manufacturers in a multi-market strategy to drive early adoption of the Akida NSoC.