INNOVATION • TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER • CONNECTED OBJECTS • ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Artificial intelligence is becoming central to image sensors
SATT Nord and Yumain have signed an exclusive sublicense agreement to develop next-generation bio-inspired image sensors
with power consumption a thousand times lower than that of the current generation
.
It was within the framework of research on Artificial Intelligence conducted by the Institute of Electronics, Microelectronics, and Nanotechnology (IEMN) and the Institute for Research on Software and Hardware Components for Advanced Information and Communication (IRCICA), a collaboration was established with Yumain, a company that has specialized in AI-based embedded computer vision systems since 2011.
This collaboration is currently reflected in a co-maturation agreement signed between SATT Nord and Yumain in November 2020, focusing on the development of ultra-low energy neuromorphic technology developed within the two laboratories. This technology is already the subject of a portfolio of patents matured and valued by SATT Nord and licensed in September 2020 to YUMAIN.
Researchers at IEMN/IRCICA, Christophe Loyez (Research Director at CNRS) and François Danneville (Professor at the University of Lille), have been able to develop a proof of concept for this technology at the image sensor level thanks to funding for maturation projects from SATT Nord.
These new-generation sensors will incorporate embedded AI developed by Yumain, with power consumption a thousand times lower than that of the current generation. This disruptive technology will help meet the energy challenges of sustainable development for applications in home automation, mobile robotics, and transportation. But also in the field of the Internet of Things (IoT) to analyze human activity in the context of smart cities or wildlife to preserve biodiversity.
"This project is a major step forward in the design of ultra-low-power embedded products. The support provided by SATT Nord, particularly through my recruitment, has enabled us to advance the technology from simple artificial neurons to larger and more complex networks, as well as to develop an electronic chip containing an imager, consisting of thousands of light sensors connected to these intelligent neural networks via synaptic connections. The project has thus benefited from a new advantage, which is its extremely low energy cost. Kévin Carpentier, Maturation Engineer, SATT Nord.
This collaboration between researchers at IEMN/IRCICA and YUMAIN, with support from SATT Nord, will enable technological advances by integrating joint knowledge and skills. It also aims to produce a prototype with at least a TRL6 level of industrial maturity, enabling it to be demonstrated in a meaningful environment and promising short-term market launch.
"This collaboration with Yumain is exemplary for SATT Nord, as it is in line with our desire to help French SMEs find the keys to their competitiveness through technologies invented by public researchers in our region." Fabrice Lefebvre, President of SATT Nord
Yumain is a Dijon-based company that has specialized since 2011 in the development of intelligent recognition solutions and cutting-edge industrial cameras incorporating embedded artificial intelligence (edge computing). In January 2021, it won the grand prize at the Embedded France and CAP'TRONIC Embedded Awards, which recognize and highlight projects by companies that have developed and implemented one or more embedded systems with a predominant and particularly innovative software component.
"At Yumain, we remain convinced that collective intelligence will always surpass artificial intelligence algorithms, whatever they may be. That is why we firmly believe that the future of these technologies will necessarily involve the establishment of partnerships and synergies between research, innovation, and industry. This cooperation with SATT Nord and IEMN/IRCICICA will enable us to develop smart, innovative, energy-autonomous sensors in the short term that are capable of providing disruptive solutions compared to the technologies currently in use," said Marc Benoit, CEO of Yumain.