Himax and Edge Impulse Launch the First Ultralow Power AI Vision and Sensor Fusion Solution

Rhea-AI Summary

Himax Technologies (NASDAQ: HIMX) announced a partnership with Edge Impulse to accelerate machine learning (ML) model development on the Himax HX6537-A WE-I Plus AI processor. This collaboration leverages Google TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers, yielding low-power, efficient solutions for motion detection, sound recognition, and image classification. The integration aims to enhance predictive maintenance and asset tracking applications while enabling easy deployment for developers. Upcoming webinars will provide further insights into TinyML and its applications in embedded development.

Positive

• Collaboration with Edge Impulse accelerates ML model development on Himax processors.
• Utilizes Google TensorFlow Lite for efficient, low-power applications.
• Supports various sectors including predictive maintenance and asset tracking.
• No-cost access to Edge Impulse tools for Himax developers enhances user experience.

Negative

• None.

TAINAN, Taiwan, Dec. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Himax Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: HIMX) (“Himax”), a leading supplier and fabless manufacturer of display drivers and other semiconductor products, today announced a collaboration with Edge Impulse that enables the rapid development and deployment of machine learning (ML) models on the Himax HX6537-A WE-I Plus AI processor and Google TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers framework, allowing low-power, memory-constrained, and remote edge devices to detect complex motion, recognize sounds and classify images at sub-mW power consumption. The AI vision and sensor fusion solution is ideal for predictive maintenance, condition monitoring, asset tracking, and occupancy detection applications where power efficiency, bandwidth optimization and privacy are key requirements.

“Himax and Edge Impulse are teaming up to help developers create amazing new user experiences with secure, private, easy to use embedded development tools," said Jordan Wu, President and Chief Executive Officer at Himax. “Offered at no charge to individual Himax developers, Edge Impulse helps simplify the creation of neural networks across a range of Himax products, including AI processors and always-on sensors, all operating at ultralow power. Edge Impulse makes it easy for embedded developers to develop TinyML models on real sensor data - from collecting data in the field to designing signal processing and ML pipelines, and to deploying models efficiently on Himax HX6537-A WE-I Plus processor with TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers.”

“Himax WE-I Plus and Edge Impulse end-to-end platform enable an easy TinyML development with TensorFlow on an ultralow power device,” said Pete Warden, Technical Lead of TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers at Google.

By using Edge Impulse and Himax, engineers can generate and export the models directly to the devices with a single button press, and in seconds, not days. These resulting inferences fully utilize the latest neural networks and Edge Impulse EON™ technology to ensure that they run as fast and energy-efficient as possible.

“The industrial, enterprise, and consumer applications of embedded ML are endless, enabling highly customizable, data-driven value for customers. Edge Impulse support for Himax AI processors and always-on vision sensors is a game changer for these markets, unlocking new value for customers by enabling ML to be embedded anywhere at extremely low-power,” said Zach Shelby, co-founder, and CEO at Edge Impulse.

On January 18th, 2021, Jan Jongboom, co-founder & CTO of Edge Impulse, and CK Hsu, senior manager of Himax will be hosting a developer webinar together, discussing TinyML and how to get started with the world’s most powerful platform for embedded developers. To learn more about Himax and Edge Impulse, register with the upcoming webinar. https://bit.ly/2IdQmde

About Himax Technologies, Inc.

Himax Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIMX) is a fabless semiconductor solution provider dedicated to display imaging processing technologies. Himax is a worldwide market leader in display driver ICs and timing controllers used in TVs, laptops, monitors, mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, car navigation, virtual reality (VR) devices and many other consumer electronics devices. Additionally, Himax designs and provides controllers for touch sensor displays, in-cell Touch and Display Driver Integration (TDDI) single-chip solutions, LED driver ICs, power management ICs, scaler products for monitors and projectors, tailor-made video processing IC solutions, silicon IPs and LCOS micro-displays for augmented reality (AR) devices and heads-up displays (HUD) for automotive. The Company also offers digital camera solutions, including CMOS image sensors and wafer level optics for AR devices, 3D sensing and machine vision, which are used in a wide variety of applications such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, TVs, PC cameras, automobiles, security, medical devices and Internet of Things. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Tainan, Taiwan, Himax currently employs around 2,000 people from three Taiwan-based offices in Tainan, Hsinchu and Taipei and country offices in China, Korea, Japan, Israel and the US. Himax has 2,915 patents granted and 551 patents pending approval worldwide as of September 30^th, 2020. Himax has retained its position as the leading display imaging processing semiconductor solution provider to consumer electronics brands worldwide.

http://www.himax.com.tw

Forward Looking Statements

Factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially include, but not limited to, general business and economic conditions and the state of the semiconductor industry; market acceptance and competitiveness of the driver and non-driver products developed by the Company; demand for end-use application products; reliance on a small group of principal customers; the uncertainty of continued success in technological innovations; our ability to develop and protect our intellectual property; pricing pressures including declines in average selling prices; changes in customer order patterns; changes in estimated full-year effective tax rate; shortages in supply of key components; changes in environmental laws and regulations; exchange rate fluctuations; regulatory approvals for further investments in our subsidiaries; our ability to collect accounts receivable and manage inventory and other risks described from time to time in the Company's SEC filings, including those risks identified in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in its Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC, as may be amended.

Company Contacts:

Eric Li, Chief IR/PR Officer
Himax Technologies, Inc.
Tel: +886-6-505-0880 Ext. 60145
Fax: +886-2-2314-0877
Email: hx_ir@himax.com.tw
www.himax.com.tw

Karen Tiao, Investor Relations
Himax Technologies, Inc.
Tel: +886-2-2370-3999 Ext. 22326
Fax: +886-2-2314-0877
Email: hx_ir@himax.com.tw
www.himax.com.tw 

FAQ

What is the recent collaboration announced by Himax?

Himax announced a collaboration with Edge Impulse to develop machine learning models on the Himax HX6537-A WE-I Plus AI processor.

How does the partnership between Himax and Edge Impulse benefit developers?

The partnership allows developers to create and deploy ML models quickly and efficiently, enhancing user experiences with low-power solutions.

What applications are targeted by the Himax and Edge Impulse partnership?

The partnership targets applications in predictive maintenance, asset tracking, and occupancy detection.

What framework is used in the Himax and Edge Impulse collaboration?

The collaboration uses Google TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers for machine learning model development.

When will the webinar on TinyML by Himax and Edge Impulse take place?

The webinar is scheduled for January 18, 2021, featuring discussions on TinyML and embedded development.