Just on Sony & Edge Impulse.
I'm trying to dig around and make my mind up on this product.
Most likely nothing but....couple of potential dots I guess
Saw this article last night (from early June) and whilst the Spresense microcontroller been around a while, they have just linked up with Soracom to assist link to the IOT, hence the article. It obviously will have cloud connectivity but I see it is also capable with Edge Impulse for AI support / machine learning and uses ARM chip.
Also added a paste of blog / article by:
Yoshinori Oota
IoT Solutions Business Division / Platform Technology Division,
Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
Highlighted a couple of lines to consider or look into.
Sony Semiconductor is using Soracom to link its SPRESENSE 6-core ARM Cortex M4 microcontroller board to the Internet of Things (IoT)
www.eenewseurope.com
Board computer that expands the possibilities of edge AI
www.sony.com
Business news | June 7, 2022
Sony Semiconductor Solutions has teamed up with network provider Soracom to link its SPRESENSE microcontrollers to the Internet of Things (IoT). The SPRESENSE 6-core ARM Cortex M4 microcontroller board is aimed at IoT designs, with multiple sensor inputs, internal GPS, and
edge AI support for sensor analysis, machine learning, image…
By Nick Flaherty
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Sony Semiconductor Solutions has teamed up with network provider Soracom to link its SPRESENSE microcontrollers to the Internet of Things (IoT).
The SPRESENSE 6-core ARM Cortex M4 microcontroller board is aimed at IoT designs, with multiple sensor inputs, internal GPS, and edge AI support for sensor analysis, machine learning, image processing and data filtering.
An LTE extension board offers an on-board antenna for global LTE Cat-M1 connectivity and this can be combined with Soracom’s global IoT connectivity through a console and API. This provides access to a wide range of services supporting secure private networking, data and protocol management, and integration with leading cloud platforms.
Spresense is open source and comes with full documentation, tutorials and sample projects with a C/C++ based software development kit (SDK) and the NuttX POSIX compliant real-time operating system (RTOS). There is Arduino IDE support for quick prototyping and sSupport for TensorFlow, NNC and
Edge Impulse for machine learning development.
“Collaboration with Soracom enables global connectivity to our IoT SPRESENSE solution, providing an out-of-the-box experience that ensures our customers can be dedicated to driving innovative IoT solutions,
especially for Edge AI applications,” said Kenichi Nakano, General Manager, Sony Semiconductor Solutions.
Soracom supports more than 4 million connections with global IoT coverage in more than 160 countries and now offers the SPRESENSE LTE-M IoT Connectivity Kit in its online store. The package also includes the official LTE Extension board for SPRESENSE, a Soracom IoT SIM card, and access to Soracom connectivity and platform services.
“Soracom is committed to partnering with leaders in hardware, software, and services to offer customers a robust global ecosystem that accelerates speed to market and success at scale,” said Kenta Yasukawa, co-founder and CTO, Soracom. “Sony’s SPRESENSE offers IoT innovators an exceptional platform for
creation of new connected experiences that take full advantage of edge and the cloud.”
www.soracom.io
Board computer that
expands the possibilities of edge AI
SPRESENSE™
Sensing
SPRESENSE™ is a board equipped with smart sensing processors for IoT. It is compact, low-power-consumption, and has a capability of GPS receiving function, supports high-resolution audio codec, and more to enable advanced signal processing. Data gathering and robust processing (recognition/processing) by the
sensors are integrated to provide outstanding opportunities in the field of edge AI.
Yoshinori Oota IoT Solutions Business Division / Platform Technology Division,
Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
A highly versatile, ultra low power consumption, high-performance processor
SPRESENSE consists of three boards: a main board with the multicore processor having GPS receiver and high-resolution audio codec, a camera board, and an extension board for Arduino users. Even with this level of functionality, the power consumption is low. Drones utilizing the GPS and high-functioning processor, a smart speaker utilizing high-resolution audio recording and playback as well as the built-in full-digital amplifier, or a low-power time-lapse cameras are just a few examples of the many applications of SPRESENSE.
Optimal AI for the places where it is needed
The strength of SPRESENSE is their ability to acquire data on the spot, wherever AI is needed. AI is normally made to learn from data sets stored in places like cloud. As a result, misclassifications are not uncommon, because the environment in which the data was acquired differs from the environment in which the AI is used.
SPRESENSE makes it possible to gather, learn from, and recognize data in the same place. This means that it is possible to create optimal recognition engines for that environment. In addition, the programming to create the engines is extremely simple.
Neural networks, too, are now generally created on computers, but the advent of SPRESENSE could change that.
Enabling the identification of defective products through sound
We have received inquiries regarding industrial applications for SPRESENSE from factory automation field. Presently, machines check images captured from certain angles, and remove defective products, but SPRESENSE makes it possible to simultaneously check sounds as well. The ability to detect abnormal sounds, to emit ultrasonic waves at objects, and check the returning waves should make it possible to detect issues invisible to the eye. The single board computers can also be used in social infrastructure. SPRESENSE installed on utility poles can monitor sounds and detect noises, screams, and other abnormalities.
Attempting to do this through the cloud would jam telecommunications lines, but SPRESENSE and LPWA (communication method) used together can engage AI functions with low power consumption. The word "sensing" immediately brings to mind images, but in actuality, sounds are also extremely useful forms of sensing. Sensing and AI are definitely approaching the level of the five senses of humans.
Utilizing AI to make society safer and more liveable
I believe AI will be applied to make society safer and more liveable in terms of security. The declining birth-rate and aging population are ongoing issues in Japan as well as other advanced countries. As these phenomena continue, society will need assistance from IT systems.
The key lies in the sensing, AI, network, and low-power-consumption technology that Sony has honed to date. SPRESENSE has been selected for installation on JAXA satellites. Their purpose is to prove the autonomous control functions of satellites using AI, but we also expect AI that functions in outer space to help society in many ways in the future.