Embedded Vision and Its Benefits

At its simplest definition, embedded vision is the merging of computer vision with edge AI. Its implications, however, are far more reaching with the potential to launch wholly new applications and reshape the future of entire industries.

Integrating a camera and a processing board, an embedded vision system provides the benefits of compact size, light weight, low operational cost, and low energy consumption. They are typically built for executing specific applications, which makes the upfront cost relatively high due to customization. Once they are trained, they can perform various techniques such as image classification, object detection, object tracking, semantic segmentation, and instance segmentation to help a computer extract, analyze, and understand useful information from a single image or a set of images. This technology opens up entirely new possibilities.

The Transformative Influence of Embedded Vision

Self-driving cars, robots in assembly lines, and consumer electronics with facial recognition – embedded vision has had a profound influence on how we live and interact. But, despite the way it’s already transformed some industries, there is still a huge potential for market growth.

According to MarketsandMarkets, AI in the computer vision market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 26.3% through 2026. Vision technology in the retail and mobility sectors has garnered significant investment. The retail sector, specifically brick and mortar, is expected to benefit greatly from computer vision to address issues such as long checkout lines, out of stock inventory, and theft. Amazon Go is a prime example of a brick and mortar that is fully taking advantage of embedded vision systems. In the mobility sector, companies such as Tesla are betting on camera technology to replace LiDAR and Radar technology in the near future.

The Right Solutions for Embedded Vision Systems

With data being processed and analyzed directly in the embedded vision systems, it is critical to choose the right storage solutions for edge AI devices. After all, a GPU or VPU is only as good as the memory equipped inside the device.

SP Industrial offers 2 storage solutions that are ideal for these applications. Our MEC3F0 series is a high-performance PCIe NVMe M.2 2280 SSD. Our SDT5R0 series is a high-endurance pSLC microSD card. Depending on the needs of the specific embedded vision system, both of these industrial-grade solutions with pSLC technology are designed to provide stable and reliable operation in edge AI devices.

Closing Thoughts

Embedded vision opens up totally new possibilities with the potential to disrupt entire industries and reshape the future of them. Over the next few years, we expect there will be a rapid proliferation of embedded vision technology. SP Industrial is ready to serve this market with robust storage solutions.