Axelera AI Unveils Metis AI Processor's Unmatched Edge Performance at Embedded World 2025

2025-03-06 data

Nijmegen, Thursday, 6 March 2025.
Axelera AI’s Metis AI processing unit, showcased on 5 March 2025, promises a leap in AI efficiency for edge applications, potentially transforming industries with its advanced capabilities.

Groundbreaking Performance Metrics

The Metis AI Processing Unit (AIPU) demonstrates remarkable capabilities, delivering up to 214 TOPS at INT8 precision while maintaining an energy efficiency of 15 TOPS/W [1][2]. This processing power enables the system to analyze 211 frames per second using the Yolov5l network and an impressive 389 FPS with Yolov5m [3]. The technology incorporates innovative Digital In Memory Compute architecture, facilitating efficient multi-model analysis in both parallel and cascade executions [3].

Real-world Applications and Demonstrations

At the exhibition, Axelera AI showcased practical applications through a multi-camera security system utilizing four 4K cameras with advanced tiling and segmentation capabilities [4]. A particularly notable demonstration features a tumor identification system, operating at 116 frames per second using the Palladio 500 RPL industrial computer with an Axelera PCIe AI accelerator card [5]. The system processes all data locally, ensuring patient privacy while maintaining high-speed analysis [5].

Edge Computing Innovation

The technology’s edge-processing capabilities significantly reduce dependency on cloud infrastructure, resulting in lower bandwidth costs and enhanced data privacy [6]. This approach proves particularly valuable in security applications, where the system can perform real-time identification without relying on human monitoring of multiple camera streams [6]. The Metis AIPU’s architecture supports various AI algorithms for biometric access control while maintaining compliance with regional privacy regulations such as GDPR [6].

Strategic Partnership and Future Development

In a significant development announced on March 4, 2025, SECO and Axelera AI strengthened their partnership [7]. This collaboration has resulted in the integration of Metis AIPU technology into the SOM-COMe-BT6-RK3588 module, featuring 32 GB LPDDR5-3200 memory for CPU operations and 2 GB LPDDRx-2133 specifically for the AIPU [8]. The partnership aims to advance AI-driven edge computing solutions across industrial automation, security, surveillance, and retail sectors [8].

Bronnen

AI Processing Edge Applications