The GPU-centric company Nvidia announced a new developer module called Jetson TX1 with an emphasis on machine learning to equip boards, drones, robotics, and other devices. The piece of machine learning hardware is described to be the size of a credit card.
According to Venture Beat, Jetson TX1 module includes a 1 teraflop/second 256 core Maxwell-based GPU that delivers more performance power than other developer boards available today. It is also equipped with Tegra X1 chip which is also used in cars and tablets with 64 bit ARM CPU.
Additional specifications include 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM with 25.6 GB/second bandwidth, 15GB of storage, 802.11 2x2ac Wi-Fi, 1 GB Ethernet and Bluetooth. It has connectors to allow GPS, camera, and other modules to be plugged in. It has 50 mm x 87 mm on size.
The device comes with the Jetson Linux software development kit (SDK). It supports the Linux for Tegra and Robot Operating System (ROS), which is widely used in robots. The module also supports Linux gaming PC. It does not support Android.
Jetson TX1 could lower the time needed to create machines that rely on dynamic input and computations, according to Engadget. The module supports autonomous drones, facial recognition, and behavioral analysis within a crowd and computer vision.
Nvidia CEO Jen Hsun Huang stated in a report by ZD Net, that the machine learning power is not only revolutionizing web services but also propelling other industries such as the automotive industry with its self-driving cars.
The company envisions the Jetson TX1 will power millions of new smart devices to come. The TX1 will be able to power drones, robots, and other autonomous devices that can use deep learning to identify objects it hasn't seen before. It offers parallelized processing and requires under 10 watts of power.
Nvidia's GPU consumers include Microsoft, Amazon Web Service, Google, and IBM. In Jetson TX1's launching, the company had teamed up with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Herta Security, automated drone builder Kespry, an Israeli drone developer Percepto, and machine learning provider Stereolabs.
Nvidia's Jetson TX1 Developer Kit is available for pre-order starting on November 12 in the U.S. with $599 at price. It will be available through online retailers such as Amazon and Newegg. The availability in other regions will start in the next few weeks. The Jetson TX1 module will be available worldwide in early 2016 at suggested price of $299 in quantities of 1,000 or more.
Earlier this week, Nvidia also unveiled Tesla M40 GPU for deploying deep neural networks and the lower power M4 for machine learning.
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