4

Intel unveils second-generation neuromorphic computing chip

 2 years ago
source link: https://venturebeat.com/2021/09/30/intel-unveils-second-generation-neuromorphic-computing-chip/
Go to the source link to view the article. You can view the picture content, updated content and better typesetting reading experience. If the link is broken, please click the button below to view the snapshot at that time.

Intel unveils second-generation neuromorphic computing chip

Intel neuromorphic
Image Credit: Intel

The Transform Technology Summits start October 13th with Low-Code/No Code: Enabling Enterprise Agility. Register now!


Intel today announced a major update to its neuromorphic computing program, including a second-generation chip called Loihi 2 and Lava, an open source framework for developing “neuro-inspired” applications. The company is now offering two Loihi 2-based neuromorphic systems — Oheo Gulch and Kapoho Point. They will be available through a cloud service to members of the Intel Neuromorphic Research Community (INRC) and Lava via GitHub for free.

Along with Intel, researchers at IBM, HP, MIT, Purdue, and Stanford hope to leverage neuromorphic computing — circuits that mimic the human nervous system’s biology — to develop supercomputers 1,000 times more powerful than any today. Custom-designed neuromorphic chips excel at constraint satisfaction problems, which require evaluating a large number of potential solutions to identify the one or few that satisfy specific constraints. They’ve also been shown to rapidly identify the shortest paths in graphs and perform approximate image searches, as well as mathematically optimizing specific objectives over time in real-world optimization problems.

Harnessing the Power of Personalization, Automation to Deliver Real-time, Intelligent Digital Experiences 1

Intel recently demonstrated that the chips can be used to “teach” an AI model to distinguish between 10 different scents, control a robotic assistive arm for wheelchairs, and power touch-sensing robotic “skin.”

Loihi 2 and Lava

Intel says Loihi 2 incorporates learnings from three years of use with the first-generation Loihi chip, building on progress in Intel’s process technology and asynchronous design methods. Packing up to 1 million “neurons” per chip, Loihi 2, which is fabricated with a pre-production version of the Intel 4 process, is up to 10 times faster than Loihi, with 15 times greater resource density and better energy efficiency.

ADVERTISEMENT

Early tests show a 60 times reduction in operations per inference on Loihi 2 compared to standard AI models running on Loihi — without a loss in accuracy — according to Intel neuromorphic computing director Mike Davies. “Loihi 2 … harvest[s] insights from several years of collaborative research using Loihi,” Davies added in a statement. “Our second-generation chip greatly improves the speed, programmability, and capacity of neuromorphic processing, broadening its usages in power- and latency-constrained intelligent computing applications.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Loihi 2 offers greater programmability, canvassing a wider class of algorithmic problems, including real-time optimization and planning. The chip also improves compatibility with backpropagation and other foundational AI techniques, expanding the scope of algorithms supported by its low-power form factor. Fully programmable “neuron models” and generalized “spike messaging” in Loihi 2 open the door to newly trainable machine learning models, while Ethernet interfaces, integrations with event-based vision sensors, and larger meshed networks of Loihi 2 chips enable deployments on robots, as well as conventional motherboards.

ADVERTISEMENT

As for Lava, Intel says it addresses the need for a common software framework in the neuromorphic research community. Lava allows researchers and application developers to converge on a common set of tools, methods, and libraries, with software that runs on both conventional and neuromorphic processors and interoperates with existing AI, neuromorphic, and robotics tools. Using Lava, developers can build neuromorphic applications without access to specialized hardware and contribute to the Lava code base, for example porting it to run on other platforms.

Applications

INRC, an ecosystem of over 150 academic groups, government labs, research institutions, and companies, was founded in 2018 to further neuromorphic computing. It claims to have achieved breakthroughs in applying neuromorphic hardware to an array of applications, from voice recognition to autonomous drone navigation. Some members of INRC see business use cases for chips like Loihi. For example, Lenovo, Logitech, Mercedes-Benz, and Prophesee hope to apply this technology to enable things like more efficient and adaptive robotics and rapid search of databases for similar content.

Last year, Accenture tested the ability to recognize voice commands on Loihi versus a standard graphics card and found the chip was up to 1,000 times more energy-efficient and responded up to 200 milliseconds faster. Mercedes-Benz is exploring how Accenture’s results could apply to real-world scenarios, such as adding new voice commands to in-vehicle infotainment systems. Meanwhile, other Intel partners are investigating how Loihi could be used in products like interactive smart homes and touchless displays.

In October 2020, Intel inked a three-year agreement with Sandia National Laboratories to explore the value of neuromorphic computing for scaled-up AI problems as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Scientific Computing Research program. In related news, the company recently entered into an agreement with Argonne National Laboratory to develop and design microelectronics technologies such as exascale, neuromorphic, and quantum computing.

VentureBeat

VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative technology and transact.

Our site delivers essential information on data technologies and strategies to guide you as you lead your organizations. We invite you to become a member of our community, to access:

  • up-to-date information on the subjects of interest to you
  • our newsletters
  • gated thought-leader content and discounted access to our prized events, such as Transform 2021: Learn More
  • networking features, and more
Become a member

What’s next for open source in the decade of data

Open source is an engine for innovation, offering reliability, scalability and security for IT leaders intent on future-proofing their infrastructure. Learn how.

Register here
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
VB Lab Insights

Plus’s Level 4 autonomous trucking technology speeds transition to sustainable commercial transport

September 22, 2021 05:10 AM
Pluss-Autonomous-Truck-Powered-by-PlusDrive-9_Edited.jpg?fit=930%2C466&strip=all

This article is part of a VB Lab Insight series paid for by Plus.


“Sustainable transportation is good for business and for humankind.”

Shawn Kerrigan, the COO and co-founder of autonomous truck developer Plus, will not mince words when talking about the environmental benefits of autonomous trucking. He and the rest of the team at Plus see a “safer, more sustainable future through autonomous trucking.”

And it’s gaining traction at the right time. Fueled by health and environmental concerns, policy makers are cracking down on pollutants emitted by medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Shippers too, are looking to integrate more efficient vehicles into their fleets, with the goal of cutting fuel costs and meeting increasingly stringent sustainability demands from consumers, investors, and regulators.

Autonomous trucks — and strategic partnerships that leverage their technology — will play an important role in helping the freight industry accomplish these objectives.

Regulation drives sustainable trucking

Despite significant improvements in vehicle emissions standards over the years, pollution from commercial trucks remains stubbornly high.

Nationwide, 29% of all greenhouse gas emissions comes from trucks carrying freight. In California, heavy-duty trucks emit nearly a third of all nitrogen oxide pollution, as well as over a fourth of diesel particulate matter.

As concern over these pollution impacts increases, state and federal regulators are expanding regulatory efforts aimed at slashing trucking tailpipe and greenhouse gas emissions.

California’s Advanced Clean Truck rule will phase out sales of fossil fuel-powered trucks by 2045. Fifteen states have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to eliminate freight truck pollution, while President Biden’s ambitious emissions reduction plans also are expected to accelerate the adoption of clean truck models.

Autonomous trucking is environmentally-friendly trucking

As regulations tighten, the autonomous trucking industry is ideally positioned to meet the demand for alternative, more sustainable shipping options.

Driverless vehicles are more efficient than human-powered trucks, slashing fuel expenses and reducing carbon emissions. Plus’s autonomous driving system, PlusDrive, uses Level 4 autonomous driving technology, but a driver remains on board to ensure the system is operating safely.

For example, Plus has shown in its pilot programs that PlusDrive can help fleets save around 10% in fuel costs. This is due to AI-generated algorithms that teach the truck how to control itself in the most fuel-efficient way.

Low-carbon fuels and smart technologies are other force multipliers helping to make autonomous trucking more sustainable. Plus recently announced a strategic collaboration with Goodyear Tire & Rubber to maximize fuel efficiency. The partnership combines Plus’s machine learning-based fuel optimization and Goodyear’s connected tire technology to further improve fuel economy.

“The collaboration between Plus and Goodyear enables us to leverage both companies’ innovative fuel efficiency technologies, and harness these to further improve the performance of autonomous trucks,” says Plus’s Kerrigan.

Sustainable shippers get on board

As the freight industry moves more stuff, and as climate change mitigation measures intensify, pressure to reduce emissions and trucking costs will only increase. Fuel efficient autonomous trucks are win-win, for the environment and the bottom line.

Sustainable shipping leaders are taking advantage of the benefits. Starting this summer Plus will partner with Schmidt Futures-supported Good Machine venture studio on a pilot program to extend both company’s sustainability impacts.

Good Machine projects tackle global problems caused by climate change and marine pollution.

Through a pilot project, trucks automated by Plus’s autonomous driving technology will help move equipment used for Good Machine’s efforts to address wildfires, food insecurity, illicit wildlife poaching, and illegal fishing.

The partnership launches with Plus’s autonomous truck hauling equipment from Winnemucca, Nevada to South San Francisco, California to be used for a wildfire detection project in California.

That pilot will use stratospheric balloon technology to detect fires early and report them to relevant authorities to help reduce catastrophic damage. Over the course of the next year, Plus will move other types of equipment for Good Machine sustainability projects.

Partnerships fuel sustainability

The Good Machine and Goodyear collaborations are just two that Plus has engineered with tech leaders to prove environmental solutions are best solved together. Plus’s joint project with Cummins will develop the industry’s first driver-in natural gas-powered autonomous trucks, creating a powerful sustainable transportation solution. The vehicles, to be released into the market in 2022, integrate PlusDrive with Cummins’ natural gas engine. The engine reduces smog-forming emissions by 90% compared to current EPA standards for nitrogen oxide air pollutants.

“Integrating Cummins’ state-of-the-art natural gas-powered engines into Plus’s industry-leading supervised autonomous trucks enables a new kind of transportation solution and offers customers even greater choices to meet their emissions goals,” said J. Michael Taylor, General Manager, Global Powertrain Integration at Cummins.

Plus is also jointly developing a Level 4 autonomous heavy-duty truck using IVECO’s LNG engine system, reducing carbon emissions compared to diesel. Plus’s Kerrigan says the partnership “will enable us to accelerate our commercial deployment and magnify the impact of our autonomous driving technology.”

Green, autonomous, and available

The idea of a sustainable autonomous truck is arriving sooner than some realize. Trucks powered by diesel and automated by Plus’s Level 4 autonomous driving technology are being delivered to customers already. Additionally, Plus’s partnerships with engine expert Cummins and truck manufacturer IVECO will put PlusDrive-equipped trucks powered by natural gas on the road starting in 2022. These collaborations will further improve the fuel economy of automated semi-trucks.

Pushing the industry forward, Plus allows fleets to tap the benefits now, and not years into the future. Although fully driverless trucks are still years away, Plus’s driver-in autonomous trucks are already on the road, helping fleets realize the fuel efficiency and carbon reduction gains today.

Across the supply chain, retailers, manufacturers, and logistics companies are demanding solutions that optimize fuel efficiency and reduce pollution and climate change impacts. With the help of key industry partners, Plus is leading the way for a new era of environmentally sustainable automated trucking.

To see the full article with disclaimers, click here.

About Plus

Plus is a global leader in autonomous driving technology for long-haul trucking, headquartered in Silicon Valley and founded in 2016 by serial entrepreneurs and industry veterans who have extensive experience in high tech and artificial intelligence. Plus is developing low-cost, high-performance full-stack Level 4 autonomous driving technology to make long-haul trucking safer, more efficient, and more sustainable. Plus is also collaborating with leading truck manufacturers, fleets, and ecosystem partners to drive the development of decarbonization transportation solutions including autonomous trucks powered by natural gas. For more information, please visit www.plus.ai or follow us on LinkedIn or YouTube.


VB Lab Insights content is created in collaboration with a company that is either paying for the post or has a business relationship with VentureBeat, and they’re always clearly marked. Content produced by our editorial team is never influenced by advertisers or sponsors in any way. For more information, contact [email protected].

What’s next for open source in the decade of data

Open source is an engine for innovation, offering reliability, scalability and security for IT leaders intent on future-proofing their infrastructure. Learn how.

Register here

About Joyk


Aggregate valuable and interesting links.
Joyk means Joy of geeK