In Edge Computing, powerful electronic systems merge with innovative software solutions. This enables numerous emerging companies to develop new products for all kinds of applications. We present six successful start-ups as a representative sample of these many “ones to watch”.
Six start-ups with Edge-Computing Power:
PCB layouts at the push of a button
Software from Contunity makes developing embedded systems considerably easier. Using pre-defined modules, technicians determine the functions that electronic devices or systems should execute. Algorithms and artificial intelligence develop the program code, circuit diagrams and the layout of PCBs – work that previously required technical expertise and a good deal of time.
AI software for the edge
First founded in 2014, FogHorn has since evolved into a leading developer of edge intelligence software for industrial and commercial IoT application solutions. The software platform developed by FogHorn brings the capability of complex analytics and machine learning to the edge and facilitates innovative applications for sophisticated monitoring and diagnostic solutions – all with the aim of optimising machine performance or making maintenance more proactive. This technology from FogHorn is suitable for OEMs, systems integrators and end clients from all manner of industries.
A personalised audio experience
The dynamically focused sound technology developed by Noveto offers users true stereo and 3D sound without headphones or traditional speakers. The sound system’s camera sensors locate and track the position of the listener to offer them a perfectly oriented and targeted audio experience. In the course of this, a 3D sensor automatically locates and tracks the position of their head. A dedicated processor engine processes the position data and audio input. The speaker focuses the acoustic waves and directs them to the user’s ear as sound beams – even while that user is moving around.
“Seeing” like a bat
Toposens has developed the world’s first 3D ultrasound sensor. It is based on the principle of echolocation and can construct a 3D picture of its surroundings in real time in much the same way as a bat. Highly optimised algorithms that run on a chip within the sensor system itself enable the sensor to “see with sound”. This technology makes the sensor optimised for covering the close range around autonomous vehicles. It is small, impervious to environmental influences, delivers a continuous stream of data that scarcely requires any further processing, and is inexpensive to produce.
Effortlessly reducing heating costs
Vilisto supplies self-learning and climate-friendly radiator thermostats for non-residential buildings. Through integrated sound, light and motion sensors, the thermostats learn when a room is normally in use. They also measure the humidity of the room and open windows. The data is sent to a smart gateway. This processes the collated information with the assistance of self-learning algorithms while also incorporating weather-forecast information. The temperatures in the rooms are independently reduced on the basis of this “learned” information. As a result, public clients and companies can save up to 32 per cent on heating costs and reduce their CO² emissions. In addition, vilisto offers a convenient online platform with which system settings can be viewed and changed.
Energy-efficient environmental perception
Recogni is developing an entirely new type of image-processing AI system to help make autonomous vehicles a reality. Compared to other solutions, it is intended to enable edge processing and deliver unparalleled inference performance with a simultaneous 500-fold improvement in energy efficiency. The core of the solution comprises high-performance AI processors with low energy consumption and a fusion of camera, radar and lidar sensors. Recogni offers a solution to the problem of ensuring real-time environmental perception in autonomous vehicles while reducing electricity consumption.