MIPS and INOVA Target Physical AI for Robotics
MIPS and INOVA announced a collaborative reference platform bringing "Physical AI" directly to robotic hands. The architecture minimizes software overhead for data communication, enabling faster development and more responsive, integrated robotic systems.
The collaboration leverages Inova's expertise in automotive zonal architectures. Their tech enables mixed-criticality compute with real-time control loops and secure AI workloads. The new platform will be manufactured on GlobalFoundries' FDX platform. MIPS, originally founded in 1984 by Stanford researchers, is known for its RISC CPU architecture. MIPS was acquired by Imagination Technologies in 2013, then by Wave Computing in 2018, before re-emerging from Wave's bankruptcy in 2021. Now, MIPS is focusing on RISC-V designs. Inova Semiconductors, founded in 1999, specializes in high-speed serial data communication. Their core products include APIX (Automotive Pixel Link) and ISELED. APIX connects displays and cameras in vehicles, transmitting up to 12 Gbps. The "Physical AI" platform aims to simplify robot design and reduce costs. It uses MIPS' Atlas M8500 RISC-V microcontroller, Atlas S8200 RISC-V AI processor IP, and Inova's APXpress high-speed interface. MIPS' Atlas portfolio addresses sensing, thinking, and acting aspects of physical AI.
