A Plan For Better AI at the Edge

J-Squared to leverage Blaize’s Graph Streaming Processor to accelerate AI in extreme environments.

Illustration of Blaize’s Graph Streaming Processor architecture. (Source: Blaize.)

Illustration of Blaize’s Graph Streaming Processor architecture. (Source: Blaize.)

Ruggedized computer hardware company J-Squared has joined forces with AI solutions provider Blaize to enable artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision and video processing applications in resource-scarce environments.

In a press release announcing the strategic partnership earlier this week, J-Squared said it will leverage Blaize’s Graph Streaming Processor architecture to accelerate AI-enabled computer solutions for edge environments where extreme conditions require rugged technologies.

Increasingly complex machine learning models warrant new approaches that consider energy cost, space and other constraints. As AI application adoption continues to proliferate across industries, engineers who work on edge devices and in low-power circumstances also want to get the most out of the current capabilities of data analytics and generative tools. 

Blaize says its Graph Streaming Processor is suited to these use cases with its energy-efficient and adaptable architecture that meets escalating compute needs for AI. The company’s graph-native AI Software Suite is another piece of the puzzle, helping to simplify and speed up deployment of AI applications at data centers or at the edge.

Additionally, the Blaize architecture provides AI-driven computer vision technologies for smart factories, retail analytics, smart cities, 3D sensing, robotics, object detection and other uses. The vision intelligence system is designed to overcome power, latency and efficiency challenges for analytics at the sensor edge, network-based analytics, server analytics and at the cloud/data center.

“In many industries, SWaP-C [Size, Weight, Power and Cost] has become a critical—if not top—priority,” said J-Squared CEO Jeff Gibson in the press release. “Blaize’s… Graph Streaming Processor architecture makes it possible to deliver AI solutions at the edge efficiently and cost-effectively.”

J-Squared says its worldwide distribution capacity and experience providing ruggedized hardware systems will enable both companies to meet market demand for these solutions. J-Squared’s computer products meet MIL-standard requirements for harsh environments found in the military, aerospace, mining, transportation, and energy sectors. Meanwhile, Blaize brings the new class of programmability and efficiency benefits of its Graph Streaming Processor architecture to embedded systems aided by multiple form factors. The small form factor System on Module (SoM) is well-suited for rugged and challenging environments and embedded systems that require wide operational temperature ranges and protection from other conditions found in harsh environments.

Earlier this year, Blaize won the 2022 Edge AI and Vision Product of the Year award for the Best Edge AI Processor category for its Pathfinder P1600 Embedded SoM. The award recognized the innovative technology enabling visual AI and computer vision to advance edge computing solutions and next-generation computing architecture designed for AI workloads.

“Blaize’s tightly coupled software and hardware deliver an end-to-end efficient, usable AI edge workflow providing solutions demanded by ruggedized environments,” said Dinakar Munagala, CEO of Blaize, in the press release. “Providing our architectural solution and collaborating with J-Squared reinforces their commitment to delivering best-in-class ruggedized computing hardware solutions.”