News

How to simplify robotics research with a native, ROS-based system

Source: The Robot Report, August 28, 2023 [1]
Tormach has developed a ROS-based industrial robotic manipulator and control system, PathPilot, using Python as the robot programming language. This open-source platform, which includes the control system, industrial robot hardware, and full access to all system parameters, addresses the lack of industrial-quality hardware and software integration in modern robotics applications. This solution aims to make industrial robotics more accessible to researchers, developers, and students.

Predicting the future for semiconductors

Source: Semiconductor Engineering, August 24, 2023 [2]
The number of new technologies and research directions means that there is plenty of uncertainty about the future of semiconductors.

Global ‘chips acts’ open debate about best way forward

Source: EETimes, August 28, 2023 [3]
The U.S. CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 has sparked a global race for governments to invest in computer-chips industries. Observers urge collaboration from countries' "chips acts" to avoid missed opportunities and capitalize on the critical mass needed for semiconductor innovation.

Could the GPU crisis put India’s innovation at stake?

Source: Analytics India Magazine, August 31, 2023 [4]
For India to achieve leadership in AI, it must place a substantial emphasis on AI research, a critical component of which is GPUs.

Design complexity in the golden age of semiconductors

Source: Semiconductor Engineering, August 29, 2023 [5]
The author noticed that many trend charts end in 2020 or earlier, but was too close to the deadline to update them. They worked on SoC integration and networks-on-chips (NoCs), using Karl Rupp's 50-year processor data. They developed new visualizations for different types of silicon IP blocks to be connected using NoCs.

Unprecedented demand for Nvidia GPUs

Source: GuruFocus, August 28, 2023 [6]
How the rise of GPU technology is transforming industries. NVDA reported a significant increase in revenue to $13.51 billion, with a gross profit ratio of 70.05%, compared to the previous quarter's 64.63%.

IP partnerships stir the world of FPGA chiplets

Source: EDN, August 29, 2023 [7]
YorChip, a supplier of UCIe-compatible IP, is partnering with QuickLogic to create the first UCIe-compatible FPGA chiplet ecosystem. This partnership marks a significant leap for FPGA technology, as chiplets are being increasingly used in heterogeneous multi-chip solutions for lower latency, bandwidth, and cost.

How to Fundraise for your robotics company

Source: Tangram Vision, August 23, 2023 [8]
To gain insight into investors' perspectives on robotics and Tangram Vision, an interview with Zann Ali, Principal at 2048 Ventures, was conducted. Zann offers advice for robotics founders seeking to raise funding.

Papers

PolyVerif: an open-source environment for autonomous vehicle validation and verification research acceleration

Source: IEEE Xplore, March 17, 2023 [9]
The validation and verification of AI-based systems like Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) is a complex task due to the integration of AI content with traditional hardware and software components. PolyVerif, the world's first open-source solution, aims to accelerate this process by providing an AI design and verification framework. It includes a digital twin creation process, an AV engine, and access to open-source physics-based simulators. PolyVerif's open-source nature allows researchers to contribute their innovations, accelerating the innovation rate in solving these vexing issues.

Speculation at fault: Modeling and testing Microarchitectural leakage of CPU exceptions

Source: USENIX, August 10, 2023 [10]
This paper presents the first leakage models for CPU exceptions, addressing the lack of existing models. The models, which cover a representative subset of exceptions on four different x86 microarchitectures, are refined and tested against black-box CPUs. The research uncovers three novel transient leaks affecting stores to non-canonical addresses, stores to read-only memory, and divisions by zero.

Previous Hardware Acceleration in Robotics Newsletters

Past ROS 2 Hardware Acceleration Working Group meetings

  1. How to simplify robotics research with a native, ROS-based system. (2023, August 28). The Robot Report. https://www.therobotreport.com/how-to-simplify-robotics-research-with-a-native-ros-based-system/ ↩︎

  2. Bailey, B. (2023, August 24). Predicting the future for semiconductors. Semiconductor Engineering. https://semiengineering.com/predicting-the-future-for-semiconductors/?cmid=5b03d782-c983-416e-a8b1-95e9d6199a12 ↩︎

  3. Wolff, I. (2023, August 28). Global ‘chips acts’ open debate about best way forward. EETimes. https://www.eetimes.com/global-chips-acts-open-debate-about-best-way-forward/ ↩︎

  4. Bordoloi, P. (2023, August 27). Could the GPU crisis put India’s innovation at stake? Analytics India Magazine. https://analyticsindiamag.com/could-the-gpu-crisis-put-indias-innovation-at-stake/ ↩︎

  5. Schirrmeister, F. (2023, August 29). Design complexity in the golden age of semiconductors. Semiconductor Engineering. https://semiengineering.com/design-complexity-in-the-golden-age-of-semiconductors/?cmid=5b03d782-c983-416e-a8b1-95e9d6199a12 ↩︎

  6. Witt, R. (2023, August 28). Unprecedented demand for Nvidia GPUs. GuruFocus. https://www.gurufocus.com/news/2073606/unprecedented-demand-for-nvidia-gpus ↩︎

  7. Ahmad, M. (2023, August 29). IP partnerships stir the world of FPGA chiplets. EDN. https://www.edn.com/ip-partnerships-stir-the-world-of-fpga-chiplets/ ↩︎

  8. Rodnitzky, A. (2023, August 23). How to Fundraise for your robotics company. Tangram Vision. https://www.tangramvision.com/blog/how-to-fundraise-for-your-robotics-company-an-interview-with-zann-ali-from-2048-ventures ↩︎

  9. Razdan, R., Akbas, M. I., Sell, R., Bellone, M., Menase, M., & Malayjerdi, M. (2023, March 17). PolyVerif: an open-source environment for autonomous vehicle validation and verification research acceleration. IEEE Xplore. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=10075634 ↩︎

  10. Hofmann, J., Vannacci, E., Fournet, C., Kopf, B., & Oleksenko, O. (2023, August 10). Speculation at fault: Modeling and testing Microarchitectural leakage of CPU exceptions. USENIX. https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenixsecurity23/presentation/hofmann ↩︎