Vision kit carries three virtual machines/hypervisor for workload consolidation

congatec announces its new workload consolidation kit for vision-based situational awareness that is qualified by Intel as Intel IoT RFP (Ready For Production) Kit. Based on a COM Express Type 6 module equipped with Intel Xeon E2 processor, the RFP kit 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 a IIoT/Industry 4.0 gateway. The congatec kit designed in cooperation with Intel and Real-Time Systems targets the next generation of vision-based collaborative robotics, automation controls, and autonomous vehicles that have to tackle multiple tasks in parallel, including situational awareness utilizing deep learning-based AI algorithms.

The Real-Time Systems based virtual machines make it possible to consolidate the different tasks on a single edge computing platform, which ultimately saves costs. The Intel OpenVino software delivers the appropriate artificial intelligence for situational awareness. OEMs just need to load their control to the real-time VM and they are ready to enrich their real-time control with data from the situational awareness VM and to communicate in real-time with IIoT/Industry 4.0 counterparts to enable tactile internet controls.

congatec’s ‘Intel IoT RFP Kit’ for workload consolidation in vision-based situational awareness applications includes a COM Express Type 6 module based platform with Intel Xeon E2 processor, a Basler vision camera, a pendulum controlled by a demo controller, and an Intel Arria 10 FPGA card from REFLEX CES. The platform has three pre-installed application ready VMs on the basis of Real-Time Systems’ hypervisor technology. One VM analyses videos on the basis of Intel OpenVino software, the second VM runs real-time Linux to control the balance of an inverted pendulum in real-time. The third partition hosts a gateway for IIoT/Industry 4.0 connectivity.