Hailo

Hailo Appoints NEXTY Electronics as Sales Promotion Partner in Japan

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Hailo, the pioneering chipmaker of edge artificial intelligence (AI) processors, announced today that it has appointed NEXTY Electronics, one of the core members of the Toyota Tsusho Group’s electronics business, as Hailo’s second sales partner in Japan, where it will focus on further advancing Hailo’s AI solutions within the automotive market.

The appointment comes on the heels of Hailo’s recent announcement that leading autonomous driving solutions provider iMotion selected the Hailo-8 AI accelerator and Renesas R-Car V4H SoC (System-on-Chip) to power the iMotion iDC High domain controller for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving (AD). A Chinese automaker is expected to begin mass production with the iMotion iDC High domain controller in the second half of this year.

“ADAS is a key area of growth for Hailo and our partnership with NEXTY Electronics will be critical to help us expand our market presence,” said Nori Kojima, General Manager of Hailo Japan. “Hailo’s edge AI processors are cost effective and offer high-performance data processing and low power consumption to the automotive market, making advanced ADAS and autonomous driving features accessible for mass market vehicles. We’re thrilled to partner with NEXTY Electronics to be able to offer their automaker and Tier 1 customer base a wider range of AI options that can tackle even the most challenging automotive scenarios.”

NEXTY Electronics is one of the key companies in the electronics business sector of the Toyota Group Tsusho and specializes in automotive electronics, IT, communication, and industrial solutions to support smart factories, robotics and more.

The appointment of NEXTY Electronics marks another significant milestone in Japan for Hailo, which has been working with Macnica, Japan’s largest distributor of semiconductors and the fifth largest in the world to serve a variety of Japanese sectors including smart retail, cities, homes, and Industry 4.0, since 2021.

It also underscores the momentum of Hailo’s global expansion. With its products already serving over 300 clients worldwide through a robust network of distributors across the world, Hailo announced last week agreements with two new distributors – J-Squared Technologies in North America, and Macnica DHW in South America.

With offices in Tokyo, Taipei, Shenzhen, Seoul, Munich, Silicon Valley, and Chicago, coupled with a growing range of distributor partners in Asia, America, Europe and Australia, Hailo is positioned for sustained growth and innovation on a global scale.

Hailo Secures Two New Distribution Partners in America

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Adding depth to its global sales reach, Hailo, the pioneering chipmaker of edge artificial intelligence (AI) processors, announced today the addition of two partners to its distribution network: J-Squared Technologies in North America, and Macnica DHW in South America.

“The global demand for our edge AI technology is growing rapidly across a range of industries and applications, and the addition of these two prominent distribution partners will strengthen our ability to serve the needs of both current and new customers as we continue to make high-performance AI widely available and affordable outside the realm of data-centers,” said Hailo CEO and Co-Founder Orr Danon.

J-Squared Technologies, one of North America’s leading distributors of computing hardware solutions, will enable Hailo to expand its presence in both the United States and Canada, extending its reach to customers in fields such as smart retail, smart cities, smart homes, military, aerospace, Industry 4.0, and beyond.

D.C. Smalley, General Manager of Hailo North America added: “The partnership with J-Squared Technologies is part of Hailo’s strategy to strengthen collaboration with existing customers in North America to enable companies from a wide array of industries to enhance edge computing performance with AI capabilities. J-Squared has the experience and scale to help drive our business across a broad range of verticals in the region.”

Macnica DHW will serve as Hailo’s distributor in South America with a focus on Brazil. The company is a subsidiary of Macnica Japan, Japan’s largest distributor of semiconductors and the fifth largest in the world. Macnica Japan is a long-trusted Hailo distributor.

“Working with Macnica DHW will significantly strengthen our presence in Brazil and other South American countries, where interest and demand for Edge AI solutions continues to rise – specifically in the industrial, medical, smart city and security verticals,” said Yaron Ofer, Regional General Manager at Hailo. “As these customers seek to empower their devices with AI capabilities at the edge, we are confident that Macnica DHW’s expertise in disruptive technologies in the edge AI space will support the expansion of our offerings in the region.”

Since its founding in Israel in 2017, Hailo has become a leading global supplier of intelligent AI accelerators and AI vision processors, that serves more than 300 customers around the world. The company has offices in Tokyo, Taipei, Shenzhen, Seoul, Munich, Silicon Valley, and Chicago, and has a wide range of distributor partners across Asia, North America, South America, Australia, and Europe.

Hailo’s AI chips to empower new chinese car models

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Hailo, the pioneering chipmaker of edge artificial intelligence (AI) processors, today announced that leading autonomous driving solutions provider iMotion has selected the groundbreaking Hailo-8 AI accelerator and the Renesas R-Car V4H SoC (System-on-Chip) to power iMotion iDC High domain controller for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving (AD).

The incorporation of Hailo-8 AI processors within iMotion iDC High domain controller is a giant step forward for the automotive industry, making applications such as Highway Pilot / Navigate on Autopilot (NoA), Automated Home Parking, and in the future also Urban Pilot / NoA, viable and cost-effective for mass market vehicles. A Chinese automaker is expected to begin mass production with iMotion iDC High domain controller in the second half of this year.

The high-performance iDC High enables Bird’s Eye View 3D perception for advanced automated driving applications and enhances safety and comfort with a 10V5R sensor configuration. Importantly, the low power consumption of the Hailo-8 accelerator enables passive cooling of the ECU, lowering the cost of the residual bill of materials (BoM) and simplifying the vehicle integration.

“The integration of Hailo’s groundbreaking Hailo-8 AI accelerator and the high-performance Renasas R-Car V4H SoC significantly improves the affordability of iMotion’s AD/ADAS domain controller while enabling best-in-class processing capabilities, an important development in our shared commitment to make advanced automated driving safer and more affordable for all vehicles,” said Orr Danon, Hailo CEO. “Partnering with iMotion represents another key milestone in our quest to make our AI technology foundational in the 21st century global automotive industry that needs high performance, cost-effective, robust and scalable AI solutions for automated driving and parking.”

“We chose to partner with Hailo for high performance AI in ADAS because of the advanced AI capabilities and efficiencies their Hailo-8 AI processor brings to the market for the benefit of all drivers. The Hailo-8 accelerator is unique in its ability to enable power-efficient AI acceleration of state-of-the-art Neural Networks with low energy consumption that greatly advances automotive innovation,” said iMotion CTO Calvin Lu.

Further amplifying that point, Takeshi Fuse, Vice President of Marketing, High Performance Computing Division of Renesas, noted: “The integration of the Renesas R-Car SoC with the Hailo-8 AI accelerator further enables unprecedented capabilities such as Bird’s-Eye-View 3D perception at an affordable cost for mass market vehicles. Together, we are bringing to life a new era in high performance, affordable automated driving that will benefit the Chinese automotive market specifically and the automotive industry at large.”

“Competitors Have Called to Express Concern and Solidarity”

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The war caught Hailo, a Tel Aviv-based company, during an accelerated move of launching their new product, the Hailo-15 AI vision processor, designed to bring artificial intelligence processing capabilities to  video cameras. In a special interview with Techtime, Orr Danon, the co-founder and CEO, revealed that despite many of their employees being recruited for military service, Hailo continues to operate without disruption. “We employ approximately 200 people in Israel and around 25 more overseas. Since a significant portion of our workforce is comprised of young individuals, many of them have been recruited to the army. At any given moment, several dozens of our employees are serving in the military reserves,” Danon noted.

How is your organization managing the situation?

“We have put in place a support system for our reserve soldiers, sending them required supplies based on their needs. Meanwhile, our remaining staff has stepped up their efforts beyond their usual roles. Our approach emphasizes that while functioning during such times isn’t easy, maintaining business continuity is an integral part of the fight against terror. We convey this message to our customers, ensuring that all our meetings and visits with them continue to demonstrate our operational capability and unwavering commitment to support them during these challenging circumstances. In parallel, we encourage employees to volunteer, even on account of work hours, to contribute to the home front’s war effort.”

Can you describe the status of your supply chain?

Currently, we are not encountering any delivery issues. Our primary product, an artificial intelligence processor, and its associated modules are manufactured overseas. The processor is produced by TSMC, a prominent semiconductor manufacturer, and the cards are manufactured by a leading Taiwanese producer. Therefore, we do not face any supply chain disruptions. Approximately 80% of our Israeli employees are engaged in research and development, with roughly 70% of them working as software engineers. This established structure underscores the central role of software in our product.”

How is the market responding to these challenges?

“Many customers are seeking information about our manufacturing locations to ensure that ongoing events do not disrupt our supply. Some who were not previously interested in our supply chain are now inquiring about our business continuity plan and the locations of our manufacturing. We have received supportive messages from numerous clients and business partners. Almost every CEO of a competing company has reached out personally to express concern for our well-being and offer support. This heartwarming response highlights Israel’s technological standing and the global appreciation for Israelis in tech. It reaffirms the essence of the struggle: the battle between terror and progress.”

Enhancing Image Quality within the Camera

Founded in February 2017, Hailo developed a novel architecture for artificial intelligence chips for edge devices, enabling fast and energy-efficient inference tasks on the edge of the network. This architecture is protected by numerous patents and belongs to the rare category of Data Flow Processors. The company’s flagship product, the Hailo-8 AI accelerator, delivers 26 trillion operations per second (26 TOPS) with an average power consumption of less than 2.5 Watts. Presently, approximately 300 companies are utilizing this product, with some already in mass production.

Danon explains, “In early 2023, we introduced the new Hailo-15 AI vision processor, designed to operate within cameras. It leverages our core technology – an artificial intelligence processor for applications in smart cities, security, automotive, industrial automation, and healthcare, among others. Currently, we are delivering engineering samples to leading customers, and by the end of the year, several companies will complete product evaluation. We anticipate some of them will go to mass production as early as 2024.

“One of the Hailo-15 significant capabilities is real-time image enhancement using artificial intelligence. While Hailo-8 aids in post-processing image understanding, Hailo-15 elevates the quality of images on the spot. This brings a novel dimension to security cameras, enabling the enhancement of video images at a remarkable rate of 30 frames per second, a formidable technical achievement that our robust processors make possible.”

Do you have a message for your employees and the industry at large?

“It is essential to contemplate the significance of our work. The current struggle is challenging, both personally and on a national level. These are trying times, but one of the most important actions each of us can take is to resist the defeatist attitude. Faced with the distressing circumstances we are witnessing, our triumph lies in our determination to move forward and continue innovating.”

Hailo Introduces AI-Centric Vision Processors for Next-Generation Intelligent Cameras

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Hailo, the pioneering chipmaker of edge artificial intelligence (AI) processors, today announced its groundbreaking new Hailo-15™ family of high-performance vision processors, designed for integration directly into intelligent cameras to deliver unprecedented video processing and analytics at the edge.

With the launch of Hailo-15, the company is redefining the smart camera category by setting a new standard in computer vision and deep learning video processing, capable of delivering unprecedented AI performance in a wide range of applications for different industries.

With Hailo-15, smart city operators can more quickly detect and respond to incidents; manufacturers can increase productivity and machine uptime; retailers can protect supply chains and improve customer satisfaction; and transportation authorities can recognize everything from lost children, to accidents, to misplaced luggage.

“Hailo-15 represents a significant step forward in making AI at the edge more scalable and affordable,” stated Orr Danon, CEO of Hailo. “With this launch, we are leveraging our leadership in edge solutions, which are already deployed by hundreds of customers worldwide; the maturity of our AI technology; and our comprehensive software suite, to enable high performance AI in a camera form-factor.”

The Hailo-15 VPU family includes three variants — the Hailo-15H, Hailo-15M, and Hailo-15L — to meet the varying processing needs and price points of smart camera makers and AI application providers. Ranging from 7 TOPS (Tera Operation per Second) up to an astounding 20 TOPS, this VPU family enables over 5x higher performance than currently available solutions in the market, at a comparable price point. All Hailo-15 VPUs support multiple input streams at 4K resolution and combine a powerful CPU and DSP subsystems with Hailo’s field-proven AI core.

By introducing superior AI capabilities into the camera, Hailo is addressing the growing demand in the market for enhanced video processing and analytic capabilities at the edge. With this unparalleled AI capacity, Hailo-15-empowered cameras can carry out significantly more video analytics, running several AI tasks in parallel including faster detection at high resolution to enable identification of smaller and more distant objects with higher accuracy and less false alarms.

As an example, the Hailo-15H is capable of running the state-of-the-art object detection model YoloV5M6 with high input resolution (1280×1280) at real time sensor rate, or the industry classification model benchmark, ResNet-50, at an extraordinary 700 FPS.

With this family of high-performance AI vision processors, Hailo is also pioneering the use of vision-based transformers in cameras for real-time object detection. The added AI capacity can also be utilized for video enhancement and much better video quality in low-light environments, for video stabilization, and high dynamic range performance.

Hailo-15-empowered cameras lower the total cost of ownership in massive camera deployments by offloading cloud analytics to save video bandwidth and processing, while improving overall privacy due to data anonymization at the edge. The result is an ultra-high-quality AI-based video analytics solution that keeps people safer, while ensuring their privacy and allows organizations to operate more efficiently, at a lower cost and complexity of network infrastructure.

The Hailo-15 vision processors family, like the Hailo-8TM AI accelerator, which is already widely deployed, are engineered to consume very little power, making them suitable for every type of IP camera and enabling the design of fanless edge devices. The small power envelope means camera designers can develop lower-cost products by leaving out an active cooling component. Fanless cameras are also better suited for industrial and outdoor applications where dirt or dust can otherwise impact reliability.

“With Hailo-15, we’re offering a unique, complete and scalable suite of edge AI solutions,” Danon concluded. “With a single software stack for all our product families, camera designers, application developers, and integrators can now benefit from an easy and cost-effective deployment supporting more AI, more video analytics, higher accuracy, and faster inference time, exactly where they’re needed.”

Tattile Selects Hailo to Empower its Next-Gen Smart LPR Cameras for ITS

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The License Plate Cameras (LPC) market is expected to reach over $700 million by 2028. LPR cameras remain one of the most popular video analytics applications for smart cities as they can be easily deployed on highways, toll booths, and parking lots to enable fast vehicle identification, congestion control, automatic fare collection and more. By integrating a powerful edge AI processer, such cameras will reach new levels of effectiveness and efficiency, running ALPR in real time. This is crucial for reducing product miss-rates, decreasing detection latency, lowering overall costs, and increasing data protection.

“Hailo’s AI expertise, extensive collaboration from design to integration and top-notch solutions made them the perfect partner to help power our next-gen LPR camera line,” said Corrado Franchi, CEO at Tattile. “Hailo-8 offers market-leading performance both in terms of tera-operations per second (TOPs) and frames per second (FPS) per watt with exceptionally low power consumption. The demand for sophisticated ANPR solutions is rising, and, with the help of this integration, we are perfectly situated to drive forward a new era of mobility.”

The new Tattile camera line represents the next generation of highly scalable smart cameras. Tattile’s ITS systems go beyond pure ANPR, offering a true vehicle identification system with functions as well as levels of integration which cannot be found elsewhere on the market. The integration of the Hailo-8 will offer Tattile’s high-end Smart+ camera line enhanced performance while shortening time to market.

“We are honored to be selected by such a significant player in the ITS space as Tattile and their world-class engineers as a technology partner,” said Orr Dannon, CEO, and Co-Founder of Hailo. “This collaboration will result in better-performing cameras for a wide range of mobility use cases. We look forward to further bolstering the technologies powering the smart cities of the future.”

BW Robotics integrates Hailo chip in its AD kits 

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Blue-White Robotics (BWR) incorporated into its next generation of its agricultural autonomous driving kit, planned to launch in the coming months, Hailo’s AI microprocessor, designed to accelerate embedded AI applications on edge devices – says BWR’s CTO and co-founder Aviram Shmueli in a conversation with Techtime. BWR’s kit is designed to transform agricultural vehicles such as tractors into self-driving machines.  

“This is the first time for an accelerator microprocessor to be integrated within an agricultural tool. Integrating the AI component makes it possible for us to overcome major limitations”. Integrated in the vehicle’s main computer, combined with a CPU and a GPU, Hailo’s chip will assist in performing processing tasks related to the sensors’ data and decision making, based on BWR’s proprietary models. “We’ve developed a significant AI layer. In order to achieve the desired level of autonomy, we combine neural networks and machine-vision in a magnitude that requires high computational capability at real time”. 

Hailo have developed its neural networks Hailo-8 processor in a unique architecture which features processing power of up to 26 tera-operations per second (TOPS), with a typical power consumption of only 2.5W. The chip is capable of analyzing the particular task, mapping the required resources for each processing layer and to allocate them as necessary. This way the device accelerates the processing task and reduces power consumption.  

Shmueli: “Conventional processors produce significant amount of heat, and we need to  remember that these agricultural tools operate in relatively hot locations. Hailo’s chip features an excellent ratio of computational power per watt, which reduces the load. In order to achieve maximal computation capabilities, processing tasks are divided between the central & graphic processors and the acceleration card”.  

Blue-White Robotics was founded in 2017 by Ben Alfi, Yair Shachar and Aviram Shmueli. It has raised a total of $50 million, in a round led by Insight Partners and Entrée Capital.

Aviram Smueli

The automation kit developed by the company includes a package of LIDAR sensors, optical cameras, management software for detection and avoidance of obstacles, a pressure-sensitive front bumper to prevent vegetation damages, and it also equipped with emergency mechanisms and remote control capabilities. Using Artificial Intelligence, the tractor “learns” the land and available routs. Incorporating the kit in the tractor makes it possible for the vehicle to perform, autonomously or remotely controlled, a variety of operation such as sprays, harvesting, disking, and seeding.

Shmueli explains that autonomous field driving might be more challenging than one may  describe. “Agricultural field is constantly changing, during the day and during the year, not to mention that this is a hybrid environment alongside human beings. This is why  it is impossible to base field driving on a predetermined mapping. In addition, just like military vehicles, agricultural tools operate in harsh terrain conditions such as vibrations, high temperatures and moisture, and this is why computation units must be ruggedized”.