Anker has announced its own chip that can give its small, wearable products AI capabilities that run locally on device. The company is planning to debut the chip called “Thus” on a new model of headphones, slated to be unveiled at its Anker Day event on May 21.
Anker calls Thus the “first Compute-in-Memory (CIM) AI audio chip with neural networks.” The company explains that Thus is “inspired by the workings of the human brain” in that the storage and processing of information takes place in one location instead of keeping them separate, similar to how it works on modern chips for computers.
Thus integrates computing power directly into NOR flash memory cells, which provide faster read speeds than NAND memory. A NOR-based CIM system requires only a tiny space inside devices, which makes it an ideal option for small products like headphones. Anker says headphones are a particularly challenging environment to demonstrate what a new chip can do, because “hardly any other device places higher demands on an AI chip.” They have a tiny space allotted for components and operate with just a few milliwatts of power, even though they have to consistently provide noise cancellation. If the model delivers, it could be a huge advertisement for Thus, which Anker plans to put in other mobile accessories and IoT devices, as well.
While the company has yet to reveal all its upcoming headphones’ AI-powered capabilities, it did announce one particular feature. Clear Calls, as it’s called, will cancel noise “with a large neural network running entirely on the device, supported by eight MEMS microphones and two bone conduction sensors.” Anker says it will enable significantly clearer conversations even in environments that are challenging for conventional noise cancellation.
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