Chinese AI chipmaker Hygon plots expansion from data centres to robotics
Chinese chipmaker Hygon Information Technology is set to release a new chip targeting physical-world applications including robotics, expanding from its current focus on data centres, according to Chinese media reports and company information. The product launch, slated for Tuesday, marks Hygon’s move into a new chip category powering machines that interact directly with their environments, as…
Chinese AI chipmaker Hygon Information Technology is broadening its horizons beyond data centres, with plans to release a new chip tailored for physical-world applications such as robotics. This shift from its present focus on data centers signals the company's foray into the burgeoning field of physical AI, which is becoming increasingly vital.
The upcoming chip, an evolution of Hygon's CPU1000 series, is specifically engineered to satisfy the "low-power, embedded, and edge computing requirements", targeting sectors like robotics, machine vision, and intelligent manufacturing.
The company's product launch, scheduled for Tuesday, echoes the company's slogan, "Let computing power reach the physical world", as announced via the company's official WeChat account on Sunday. The event is set to take place in the bustling tech hub of Shenzhen.
This move by Hygon aligns with a larger industry trend where computing power is moving from centralized data centers towards the 'edge' of networks at active physical industry sites. Unlike data center chips, which focus on high computational power, chips used in robotics and edge applications must meet stringent requirements for real-time processing, power efficiency, and robust security in unpredictable environments.
Hygon, a company renowned for designing central processing units (CPUs) and deep computing units, is playing a significant role in Beijing's semiconductor self-sufficiency initiative. The company's existing CPU product lines include the 7000 series for high-performance data centers, the 5000 series for middle-level industry clients in cloud and edge computing, and the 3000 series, recognized for its cost efficiency.
As a Shanghai-listed company, Hygon is one of China's top developers of x86-compatible CPUs, a standard architecture that powers most servers, desktops, and laptops worldwide. The company's first-half revenue surged 66.5% year-over-year to 9.1 billion yuan (approximately US$1.4 billion) due to robust demand for high-end domestic chips.
Written by urgent.news from SCMP Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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