Intel Movidius Neural Compute Stick AI USB Stick With Myriad 2 Vision Processing Unit Unveiled

Intel Movidius Neural Compute AI USB Update: Intel is expanding its reach into the deep learning field today with the launch of the Neural Compute Stick (NCS), which as developed by its Movidius subsidiary. The Intel Movidius Neural Compute AI USB is aimed at democratizing deep learning and artificial intelligence, with Intel billing it as “the world’s first self-contained AI accelerator in a USB format.”

The Intel Movidius Neural Compute AI USB stick was slated for launch in 2016, but the acquisition by Intel halted proceedings. Now the company is back to normal operations and its USB AI Stick is finally here.

Read: Intel Curie Technology BatSense Smart Bats Introduced in ICC Champions Trophy 2017

The Intel Movidius Neural Compute AI USB is powered by the Myriad 2 vision processing unit (VPU), which promises 100 gigaflops of performance all while operating within a 1-watt power envelope.

Given its low-power requirements, Intel is aiming the Movidius NCS at developers, research engineers and of course the do-it-yourself crowd.

The processor has twelve cores running in parallel and can execute facial recognition and object detection algorithms. It supports neural networks based on the Caffe framework (a neural network library).

However, it’s not clear if it will support Google’s TensorFlow framework or not. A complete list of specifications for the processor can be found here.

The device was delayed due to Intel’s involvement but that helped the company bring down its expected retail price. Initially it was expected to go for around $99, but now it can be bought for just $79.

The Intel Movidius Neural Compute AI USB acts as an AI accelerator that doesn't need to be hooked up to a cloud-based system and makes it easier to add deep learning capabilities to existing computing platforms.

For example, using the device's technology, developers will be able to design an AI-powered drone or add AI into existing apps and devices. According to Intel, the Movidius USB stick could also reduce research and development costs for testing machine learning applications.

Specs-wise, the Movidius Compute Stick consumes just 1 watt of power and provides 100 gigaflops of performance. It runs on a Caffe framework and connects to a PC via USB 3.0. It requires a 64-bit PC running Ubuntu 16.04, with 1GB RAM and 4GB onboard memory to function.

It should be mentioned that the device is definitely not suitable for bigger corporations which require greater processing power. It would be much more efficient for them to simply incorporate their own sensors and hardware in their devices.

Via: Mehran Post

Intel Curie Technology BatSense Smart Bats Introduced in ICC Champions Trophy 2017

Intel Curie Technology BatSense Smart Bats Update: Cricket is all about technique and for viewers, it’s all about real-time information and statistics.

To add more excitement to the game of cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has partnered with popular chip maker, Intel. Together, they had introduced smart bats during this ongoing ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 in England.

These Intel Curie Technology BatSense Smart Bats will actually use chips, dubbed BatSense, that allow them to sense the bat swings.

Intel Sports Group Vice President Sandra Lopez highlighted the role of Intel Curie Technology BatSense Smart Bats in transforming the way we play and view sports. With higher levels of digitization, Intel is in a unique position to enable the sports industry to capture and analyze data to uncover and respond to new insights in real time.

Lopez said:

“Our goal is to lead the way forward into the digitization and personalization of sports, transforming the way fans and athletes experience sports.”

A new bat sensor powered by Intel Curie technology that can be mounted on any cricket bat to generate data for every stroke that the batsman plays. With this Intel Curie Technology BatSense Smart Bats, parameters like back-lift, bat speed and follow-through can be tracked for every cricket stroke. 

Several batsmen will use these bat sensors in the games at the 2017 Champions Trophy, enabling new insights on stroke play and rich story telling during broadcasts.

BatSense with Intel Inside has the potential to transform cricket across a varied audience from coaches to aspiring self-taught cricketers.

Coaches can use their insights and expertise along with the bat sensor data to make specific adjustments to a batsman’s technique ultimately helping him perform better.

Players Who Will Use Smart Bats

While it is almost confirmed that three players from each team will have BatSense-installed bats, the names of these players are yet to be announced. For now, we know of Indian and English players who will have the chips on their bats.

England: Ben Stokes, Alex Hales, Jason Roy

India: Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin

More Technology of Intel in ICC Champions Trophy 2017

ICC plans to modernize the game by bringing upcoming technologies to the cricketing field.

While similar bat-sensing tech has already been used in baseball bats, tennis racquets and golf clubs, it’s a first for cricket. Now, ICC is ready to incorporate VR and pitch reading drones.

Everything is explained in the video below:

A consumer version of BatSense will be released later this year. People will no longer need expensive trainers or months of trial and error to improve their skills. If anyone wants to bat like AB de Villiers or Chris Gayle, they will be able to use VR technology and the bat sensors along with a digital trainers.

Cricket fans, expect great times ahead with new ways of improving your game.

Via: Mehran Post