Next month Toshiba is to sample ARM-based image recognition processors for industrial use. Mass production is planned for January 2014.
The industrial image recognition processors are a derivation of its Visconti range of image processors developed for cars.
The industrial version, TMPV7528XBG, adds cores to the automotive version to support various applications.The automotive Visconti recognises traffic lanes, vehicles, pedestrians, traffic signs and pedestrians.
The industrial Visconti, Visconti version 3, adds to these capabilities an ARM 32-bit RISC Cortex-A9 core to support applications interfacing with the image recognition processor. A single/double-precision FPU is integrated into each core of the ARM processor.Toshiba will seek to expand the image recognition processor business beyond automotive systems into camera-based vision systems for industrial applications.
Toshiba reckons it will sell two million industrial Visconti 3s in fiscal 2015 – March 2014 – March 2015.
Toshiba expects a market boost to come from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) which requires automobile companies to introduce autonomous braking systems next year.
These will initially cover braking systems to avoid hitting other vehicles, and will be extended to include pedestrians in 2016.
Initiatives like this are expected to spur 50-100% growth in the global market for image recognition processors between fiscal 2010 and 2015, from 75 to 100 billion yen.
