Edge AI

Edge AI

Empowering Devices, Leading the Future

Overview

In the era of IoT, Edge AI is becoming the core driver of intelligent implementation. With cutting-edge computing architecture and hardware-software co-design, Realtek delivers high-performance, low-power, and cost-efficient Edge AI solutions, enabling intelligence at the device level.

The core technology that empowers these devices with "intelligence" is machine learning, a technique that enables computers to automatically learn patterns from data without explicit programming. At its essence, it involves training a model on historical data to make accurate predictions or decisions for new, unseen data. The basic workflow is illustrated below:

Learn more: FreeRTOS tutorials | Linux tutorials

Sound & Sensing

Category	Applications
Voice Interaction	Wake word detection Speech recognition for touchless device control Queue system voice synthesis for callouts
Speech Paralinguistics	Voice-based child lock for appliances Emotion recognition for feedback or personalized services Gender/age recognition for tailored content delivery
Sound Event Detection	Glass breakage, car alarms Infant crying detection Abnormal noise detection in industrial/appliance operation Health monitoring (cough frequency, snoring intensity/patterns)
Environment/Personnel Sensing	Ambient noise level detection Scene inference (indoor/outdoor) for adaptive device modes Auto-shutdown of AC/lighting when unoccupied Smart home climate & lighting control

Image & Video

Category	Applications
Visual Interaction	Gesture recognition for touchless device control Facial expression recognition for emotional feedback or personalized services Gaze tracking
Image Processing	Face recognition Motion detection for security alerts, lighting control, etc. OCR (digit/character recognition), license plate recognition Object detection (people, pets, vehicles) Smart retail shelf inventory monitoring Autonomous checkout in retail Agricultural pest detection & prediction
Environmental Sensing	Smoke detection for fire prevention Ambient light detection for smart lighting Scene inference (day/night) for adaptive device modes Robotic arm obstacle avoidance

Maintenance & Alert

Category	Applications
Industrial	Vibration and temperature monitoring (machine tools, motors, compressors) Predictive maintenance for mechanical components (gearboxes, bearings) Temperature and humidity monitoring Flow rate and gas concentration monitoring
Agriculture	Irrigation system pressure and flow monitoring Smart climate control for grain storage Harvester blade vibration analysis for failure prediction
Transportation	Structural health monitoring (bridges, roads, tunnels) Vehicle anomaly detection Train/metro wheel wear prediction and brake system monitoring
Building & Home	Elevator, boiler room, and HVAC system monitoring Smart building fire sprinkler pressure monitoring Intrusion detection for smart security Abnormal vibration detection in appliances (washing machines, refrigerators, AC units)

Key Advantages

Full-Scenario Edge AI Product Portfolio

Scalable computing chips from lightweight to high-performance for diverse requirements
Select models integrate Arm Cortex™-A32 or HiFi DSP processors for AI acceleration
Independent application core and network core with multi-core collaboration ensuring stable low-latency AI performance

High-Speed Wi-Fi for AI Applications

Hybrid edge-cloud architecture enabling remote monitoring/control
Multi-protocol support for cross-platform cloud service integration
Real-time critical data transmission with second-level alert

Multi-interface Expansion for Enhanced AI Sensing

Multi-modal sensor support (audio/visual/temperature/humidity/vibration)
Standardized interface protocols for rapid device integration
Flexible peripheral expansion for scenario-specific customization

Typical Applications

Smart Industry: Real-time equipment monitoring via vibration sensors enables predictive maintenance and AI-powered product sorting
Smart Agriculture: Wi-Fi R-Mesh networks integrate temperature/humidity sensors and pest-monitoring cameras for synchronized field data collection and smart irrigation
Smart Retail: Camera-based footfall analytics, shelf monitoring, and product recognition enable real-time customer behavior tracking
Smart Buildings: Integrated light sensors and facial recognition access systems achieve adaptive energy management and contactless access control
Smart Home: Coordinated climate control and AI voice assistants optimize environment parameters and enable natural language device interaction

Smart Industry

Real-time equipment monitoring via vibration sensors enables predictive maintenance and AI-powered product sorting

Smart Agriculture

Wi-Fi R-Mesh networks integrate temperature/humidity sensors and pest-monitoring cameras for synchronized field data collection and smart irrigation

Smart Retail

Camera-based footfall analytics, shelf monitoring, and product recognition enable real-time customer behavior tracking

Smart Buildings

Integrated light sensors and facial recognition access systems achieve adaptive energy management and contactless access control

Smart Home

Coordinated climate control and AI voice assistants optimize environment parameters and enable natural language device interaction

Development Resources

	FreeRTOS SDK Download	Link
	Linux SDK Download	Link
	FreeRTOS TensorFlowLite-Micro Development Guide	Link
	Linux TensorFlowLite Development Guide	Link
	Contact Us	Link

Recommended ICs

Features	Filter	RTL8721Dx	RTL8720E	RTL8710E	RTL8726E	RTL8713E	RTL8730E	RTL8721F	RTL872xD	RTL8735B
Application Processor	Cortex-M Cortex-A	Cortex-M	Cortex-M	Cortex-M	Cortex-M	Cortex-M	Cortex-A	Cortex-M	Cortex-M	Cortex-M
DSP	Select
ISP?	Select
Arm TrustZone	Select
Dual Band?	Select
Wi-Fi 6	Select
R-MESH?	Select
Ultra-low Power	Select
Ethernet	Select
BT Dual Mode	Select
HMI?	Select
Audio ADC?	Select
Audio DAC?	Select
SDIO Host	Select
SD/EMMC Host	Select
USB	Select
BT Dedicated Antenna?	Select
A2C?	Select