ax Inc. (headquartered in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, CEO Takehiko Terada) is pleased to announce that its proprietary deep-learning framework “ailia SDK” now supports “intdash,” a high-speed IoT platform middleware by aptpod, Inc. (headquartered in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, President Junichi Sakamoto), making it possible to create advanced AI/IoT environments quickly.

intdash product webpage：https://www.aptpod.co.jp/products/intdash/
ailia product webpage：https://ailia.jp/

intdash: a two-way transmission platform for stably streaming big data volumes at high speed

intdash by aptpod is a two-way data transmission platform for fast, stable streaming of large volumes of time-series data. This takes place at high-frequency intervals of 100 ms to 1 ms through best-effort networks such as mobile networks.
Devices that generate large amounts of data in short spans of time, such as cars, robots, industrial machines, and control/visualization apps, can be interconnected live through mobile and Internet networks.
The streaming data flowing through intdash will be stored directly in a time-series data store, to be visualized by “Visual M2M” or used for computations and machine-learning in Analytics Services.

ailia SDK realizes high-speed inferencing environments

ailia SDK is a deep-learning framework for edge inferencing, developed independently by ax. Using a GPU, ailia SDK connects “AI models” that have been learned through learning frameworks such as PyTorch, Keras, and TensorFlow, with “execution platforms” such as OS and hardware. This makes it possible to implement AI in a range of edge environments.

Enables instant use of more than 180* AI models

ax has released more than 180 pre-learned AI models, or “ailia MODELS,” on GitHub. These include models for object detection, image grouping, feature detection, and skeletal detection for ailia SDK, enabling users to efficiently incorporate the features they need into an AI in a short time. Users and other partners can also use customized models they have developed themselves.

(*as of December 2021)

ailia SDK and intdash make advanced AI/IoT environments possible

Because ailia SDK supports intdash environments, intdash users can quickly develop hybrid AI/IoT platforms on edge computers and in a Cloud. For instance, data from a camera on an edge computer can be analyzed to identify objects at high speed, aggregating the detected results in a cloud in real time and so rapidly developing an AI-based monitoring system. Users will also be able to develop AI execution environments by utilizing video data transmitted from edge computers to a cloud, as well as computing resources on the cloud side.

Edge AI computing for industry in combination with EDGEPLANT

ailia SDK’s behavior has also been verified on EDGEPLANT T1, from aptpod’s industry-oriented edge computer series EDGEPLANT. EDGEPLANT T1 supports GPU computing environments and multi-modal sensor data entry, including from cloud communication and camera devices for AI execution environments. This delivers advanced AI/IoT environments, such as automotive systems, with outstanding environmental resilience.

■Assumed use cases
- Detecting traffic objects with an automotive system
- Safety maintenance work at construction sites
- Detecting infrastructure deterioration
- Analyzing human movement by skeleton detection, and more

Diagram of developing a hybrid AI/IoT environment in real time with ailia and intdash

Expectations for using edge AI and real-time streaming are mounting as the need to process huge volumes of data in real time, such IoT data, surges. By merging ax’s ailia SDK with aptpod’s intdash and EDGEPLANT T1, ax and aptpod will help to implement AI early according to their needs.

About aptpod, Inc.

Aptpod is an IoT software/service company that, as a fast-data (high-speed time-series data) specialist in industry IoT, is a one-stop-shop owner of relevant technologies, from sensor and hardware technologies to cloud technologies. It also possesses graphical user interface technologies in IoT/M2M. The company provides comprehensive frameworks that enable collection, transmission, and high-speed real-time processing of large volumes of high-speed data, as well as event processing, in industry situations.

aptpod corporate webpage：https://www.aptpod.co.jp
ntdash product webpage：https://www.aptpod.co.jp/products/intdash/
EDGEPLANT product webpage：https://www.aptpod.co.jp/products/edgeplant/

About ax Inc.

ax was established in May 2019 as a group company of Axell Corporation (listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange: 6730) to drive its AI/machine learning/middleware businesses. In addition to developing and marketing the independently developed deep-learning framework “ailia SDK,” it provides a comprehensive suite of solutions for implementing AI, including consulting on AI introduction, support for learning, and porting to various platforms, according to customer needs. The company has also been focusing on its “AXIP” series of marketing middleware for the gaming market.

ax corporate webpage: https://axinc.jp/
ailia product webpage: https://ailia.jp/
Technology blog:https://medium.com/axinc

■Inquiries about this news release
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ax Inc. Email：contact@axinc.jp