Hailo today announced that leading autonomous driving solutions provider iMotion has selected the Hailo-8 AI (artificial intelligence) accelerator and the Renesas R-Car V4H SoC (system-on-chip) to power its iDC High domain controller for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving (AD).

An Israel-based chipmaker for edge AI, Hailo focuses on developing specialized AI processors that enable data center-class performance on edge devices. Its processors are the product of a rethinking of traditional computer architecture, enabling smart devices to perform sophisticated deep-learning tasks such as object detection and segmentation in real-time, with minimal power consumption, size, and cost.

Hailo says that the incorporation of AI processors into the iDC High domain controller makes applications such as highway pilot/navigate on autopilot (NoA), automated home parking, and future urban pilot/NoA viable and cost-effective for mass-market vehicles. An unnamed Chinese automaker is expected to begin mass production with the iMotion iDC High domain controller in the second half of this year.

“We chose to partner with Hailo for high-performance AI in ADAS because of the advanced AI capabilities and efficiencies their Hailo-8 AI processor brings to the market for the benefit of all drivers,” said iMotion CTO Calvin Lu. “The Hailo-8 accelerator is unique in its ability to enable power-efficient AI acceleration of state-of-the-art neural networks with low energy consumption that greatly advances automotive innovation.”

Founded in 2016, China-based iMotion develops AD domain controllers using advanced full-stack R&D capabilities including self-developed algorithms and hardware-software co-design capabilities for a range of autonomous driving solutions and products. It works with OEMs such as Geely, Great Wall Motor, Chery, Dongfeng, and Polestar.

Its iDC High enables bird’s-eye-view 3D perception for advanced automated driving applications and enhances safety and comfort with a 10V5R sensor configuration. Importantly, the low power consumption of the Hailo-8 accelerator enables passive cooling of the ECU, lowering the cost of the residual bill of materials and simplifying vehicle integration.

“The integration of Hailo’s groundbreaking Hailo-8 AI accelerator and the high-performance Renesas R-Car V4H SoC significantly improves the affordability of iMotion’s AD/ADAS domain controller while enabling best-in-class processing capabilities, an important development in our shared commitment to make advanced automated driving safer and more affordable for all vehicles,” said Orr Danon, Hailo CEO.

Further amplifying that affordability point, Takeshi Fuse, Vice President of Marketing, High Performance Computing Division of Renesas, noted: “The integration of the Renesas R-Car SoC with the Hailo-8 AI accelerator further enables unprecedented capabilities such as bird’s-eye-view 3D perception at an affordable cost for mass-market vehicles.”