TECHNOLOGY — Technology

Edge AI & Machine Learning for Hardware

From model training to silicon deployment — we bring AI inference to embedded devices. TensorFlow Lite, ONNX, OpenVINO, and Vitis AI on automotive, industrial, and consumer SoC platforms.

OVERVIEW

AI That Runs on the Edge, Not in the Cloud

Edge AI eliminates cloud dependency for latency-critical, privacy-sensitive, and bandwidth-constrained applications. Promwad deploys trained models directly on embedded SoCs, FPGAs, and microcontrollers — achieving real-time inference at milliwatt power budgets where cloud-based solutions cannot operate.

Our edge AI practice spans the full pipeline: dataset curation and augmentation, model architecture selection (YOLO, EfficientNet, MobileNet, custom architectures), quantization and pruning for target hardware, runtime optimization with vendor-specific tools, and continuous model update via OTA. We work across automotive (ADAS, DMS), industrial (anomaly detection, quality inspection), and consumer (gesture recognition, voice processing) domains.

Object detection and classification: YOLOv5/v8, EfficientDet, SSD MobileNet
Semantic and instance segmentation: DeepLabv3+, Mask R-CNN
Anomaly detection for predictive maintenance: autoencoders, isolation forests, LSTM
TinyML on microcontrollers: vibration analysis, keyword spotting, gesture recognition
Model quantization: INT8, FP16, mixed-precision for target hardware
Neural architecture search (NAS) for hardware-constrained deployment
Federated learning for privacy-preserving model improvement
MLOps pipeline: training, validation, OTA deployment, A/B testing on device fleets
ANONYMIZED PROJECTS

Selected Edge AI Projects

L3 Autopilot Perception Optimization for Automotive Tier-1

Optimized a multi-sensor perception stack (camera + LiDAR + radar fusion) on NVIDIA Orin for a European autonomous driving company. Redesigned the inference pipeline to reduce end-to-end latency while improving detection accuracy across pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles in adverse weather conditions.

OUTCOME30% faster processing, 8% fewer false positives. Deployed on commercial test fleet.

Visual Quality Inspection for Electronics Manufacturer

Deployed a YOLOv8-based defect detection system on Ambarella CV25 for a PCB assembly line. The system inspects solder joints, component placement, and surface defects at 120 units/minute with sub-millimeter precision. Runs entirely on-device with no cloud connectivity.

OUTCOMEDefect escape rate reduced from 2.1% to 0.08%. ROI achieved in 4 months.

Predictive Maintenance for Industrial Compressor Fleet

Developed a TinyML anomaly detection system on NXP i.MX RT1170 for a European compressor manufacturer. MEMS accelerometer data is processed on-device using a lightweight autoencoder model. Anomalies trigger alerts via MQTT to the fleet management platform.

OUTCOMEUnplanned downtime reduced by 67%. False alarm rate below 1.5%.

Client identities changed. Methodologies and outcomes are real.

ENGINEERING STACK

Edge AI Technology Stack

AI Frameworks
TensorFlow / TensorFlow Lite, PyTorch / ONNX Runtime, OpenVINO (Intel), Vitis AI (AMD/Xilinx), TensorRT (NVIDIA), ArmNN
Target Platforms
NVIDIA Orin / Jetson AGX / Jetson Nano, Qualcomm SA8155 / RB3 / RB5, Ambarella CV25 / CV5, NXP i.MX 8M Plus / i.MX RT1170, AMD Zynq UltraScale+ (DPU)
Model Architectures
YOLOv5/v8, EfficientNet/EfficientDet, MobileNetV3, DeepLabv3+, Mask R-CNN, LSTM/GRU, autoencoders, transformer-based models
Optimization Tools
TensorFlow Lite Converter, ONNX quantization tools, NVIDIA TensorRT, Qualcomm SNPE/QNN, Apache TVM, pruning and knowledge distillation pipelines
MLOps & Deployment
MLflow, DVC, SWUpdate/RAUC for OTA model delivery, A/B testing frameworks, model versioning and rollback
Sensor Integration
MIPI CSI-2 cameras, MEMS accelerometers/gyroscopes, LiDAR (Velodyne, Ouster), mmWave radar, thermal imaging (FLIR Lepton)
REFERENCE ARCHITECTURES

Reference Architectures

Vision AI Pipeline

Camera Sensor
ISP
Neural Network Accelerator
Post-Processing
Application Output

Camera-to-decision pipeline for object detection, classification, and tracking. Runs entirely on-device with INT8 quantized models.

NVIDIA OrinAmbarella CV25MIPI CSI-2 sensorYOLOv8 INT8TensorRT runtime

Predictive Maintenance Edge

Sensor Array
Signal Conditioning
Edge Inference (Anomaly Detection)
Alert/Dashboard
Cloud Sync

Multi-sensor anomaly detection on microcontroller-class hardware. TinyML autoencoder model with MQTT alerting and optional cloud analytics.

NXP i.MX RT1170MEMS accelerometerTFLite Micro runtimeMQTT brokerAWS IoT Core
CREDENTIALS

Certifications & Partnerships

NVIDIA Jetson Ecosystem PartnerQualcomm Platform Development PartnerISO 9001:2015 CertifiedISO 26262 ASIL-B/C (for automotive AI applications)GDPR-Compliant Edge AI ArchitecturesClutch 4.8/5 Rating
FREQUENTLY ASKED

What is the difference between edge AI and cloud AI for our product?

Edge AI runs inference on the device itself — no network dependency, sub-millisecond latency, full data privacy. Cloud AI offers unlimited compute but requires connectivity, adds 50-200ms latency, and raises data sovereignty concerns. Most industrial and automotive applications need edge-first architectures with optional cloud sync for model updates and fleet analytics.

Can you deploy AI on our existing hardware, or do we need a new SoC?

It depends on the model complexity and your existing processor. We routinely deploy lightweight models (anomaly detection, keyword spotting) on Cortex-M class MCUs. Object detection typically requires a dedicated NPU or GPU — Ambarella CV25, NXP i.MX 8M Plus, or NVIDIA Jetson Nano are common cost-effective options. We evaluate your hardware during the feasibility phase.

How do you handle model updates after deployment?

We integrate AI model updates into the device OTA pipeline (SWUpdate or RAUC). Models are versioned, signed, and delivered with A/B partition support for safe rollback. For automotive applications, this aligns with UNECE R156 software update management requirements.

What accuracy can we expect from edge AI vs. cloud-based models?

Properly quantized INT8 models typically achieve within 1-3% of their FP32 cloud counterparts. For most industrial and automotive applications, this gap is negligible. We validate accuracy against your specific dataset and acceptance criteria before deployment.

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