Macnica begins selling the next-generation physical AI platform "SiMa.ai" - Accelerating DX with AI that excels in real-time performance and energy efficiency -

Macnica (Head office: Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture; Representative Director and President: Kazumasa Hara; hereinafter referred to as Macnica"), a Textar Company, today announced that it has signed a distributorship agreement in Japan with SiMa Technologies, Inc. (Head office: California, USA; CEO: Krishna Rangasayee; hereinafter referred to as"​SiMa.ai") and has begun handling SiMa.ai 's innovative physical AI platform.

■ Accelerating the social implementation of AI and new challenges
As AI technology rapidly evolves, its use is expanding in a variety of fields, including manufacturing, automobiles, medicine, and logistics, but new challenges are also emerging.

- Delays in promoting automation of on-site operations
Recent Generation AI Business centered on DX Automation is primarily focused on data analysis and prediction, and there are limitations to automating actual physical tasks.
- High initial investment / Digital divide due to operational costs
Implementing AI in society requires a large initial investment in servers and infrastructure, and even during the operational phase, electricity costs and ongoing tuning costs are incurred. These costs make it difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises and certain regions to implement AI.
・ AI Human resource shortages due to increasing complexity of development
Large scale AI Model building and optimization / High level of expertise is required for operation, AI Development is becoming increasingly complex, resulting in a shortage of dedicated engineers.
・Environmental burden due to increased power consumption
High-performance servers that run on data center servers AI Processing requires enormous computing power, which has resulted in a significant increase in power consumption, raising concerns about the worsening environmental impact, including global warming.

 The potential of physical AI is gaining attention
In response to these challenges, "physical AI" has been gaining attention in recent years. Physical AI is a technology that uses sensors and actuators to recognize and understand the real-world physical environment and then executes physical tasks based on AI-based judgments. It is increasingly being used in fields that require real-time performance (low latency) and low power consumption, such as autonomous robots, autonomous driving cars, and medical support robots, and is expected to be a technology that can directly solve on-site issues.

 ■ SiMa.ai 's solution
SiMa.ai offers the following solutions to accelerate the social implementation of physical AI.

1. AI chip with excellent real-time inference and power saving capabilities
MLSoC™ (Machine Learning SoC) is an AI chip ideal for inference on edge devices and physical environment control, achieving a maximum performance of 50 TOPS and 10 TOPS/W (50 trillion calculations per second with a power consumption equivalent to 5W), thereby contributing to reducing environmental impact and resolving on-site work issues.

②Easy and quick physical AI Development tools that can be introduced
No-code/low-code development tools Palette ™, AI Even if there is no dedicated engineer, IT The person in charge and the developer can quickly AI This will solve the problem of a shortage of dedicated personnel and allow for on-site AI We will promote its use.

Integrated hardware and software solutions supporting physical AI​

■ Future outlook
Through SiMa.ai 's low-power physical AI platform, Macnica will support the adoption of AI by Japanese companies and contribute to building a sustainable society that reduces environmental impact and realizes industrial digital transformation.

 　Krishna Rangasai, Founder and CEO​ ​of SiMa.ai, said:
"Japan is an important growth market for SiMa.ai as we continue to expand globally. Our partnership with Macnica TecStar Company, one of Japan's most trusted distributors with deep expertise in embedded systems, will significantly expand our business with customers and accelerate our support for Japanese customers in maximizing the power of physical AI. Together with Macnica TecStar Company, we will offer new smart edge solutions utilizing SiMa.ai 's cutting-edge MLSoC platform."

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URL: https://www.macnica.co.jp/business/semiconductor/manufacturers/sima/

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Macnica TecStar Company Company SiMa.ai Product Manager
TEL: 045-470-9841

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