Workload consolidation kit has the vision for Intel IoT production
Embedded computing specialist, congatec has created a workload consolidation kit for vision based situational awareness. Furthermore, it is qualified by Intel as an Intel IoT Ready For Production (RFP) kit. The kit is based on a COM Express Type 6 module equipped with Intel Xeon E2 processor. It has three virtual machines (VMs) built on Real-Time Systems’ hypervisor technology for workload consolidation in vision applications.
One VM runs a vision-based AI application on the basis of Intel OpenVino software for situational awareness, the second VM is real-time capable and runs deterministic control software and the third VM operates an industrial IoT (IIoT) / industry 4.0 gateway.
The congatec kit has been designed in co-operation with Intel and Real-Time Systems to target vision-based collaborative robotics, automation controls and autonomous vehicles that have to tackle multiple tasks in parallel, including situational awareness using deep learning-based AI algorithms.
The Real-Time Systems-based VMs make it possible to consolidate the tasks on a single edge computing platform. The Intel OpenVino software delivers the appropriate AI for situational awareness. OEMs load their control to the real-time VM to integrate data from the situational awareness VM and to communicate in real-time with IIoT/industry 4.0 counterparts to enable tactile internet controls.
The need for workload consolidation demand in vision-based situational awareness applications includes machine controls, collaborative robotics and autonomous vehicles which need virtualisation. “OEMs don’t want to assign the different control, vision and networking tasks to multiple dedicated systems,” explains Martin Danzer, director product management at congatec.
The Intel IoT RFP kit also includes a Basler vision camera, a pendulum controlled by a demo controller, and an Intel Arria 10 FPGA card from Reflex CES.
congatec specialises in embedded computing products. Its computer modules are used in a range of applications and devices in industrial automation, medical technology, transportation and telecommunications. congatec was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Deggendorf, Germany.
