Wistron Corporation is a major ODM (original design manufacturer)focusing on ICT (information and communication technology) products,including notebook PCs, desktop PCs, servers, storage, LCD TVs,handheld devices, and devices and equipment for medical applications.Wistron has officially launched a service robot named Wisbot in May thisyear, which provides a range of service functions for differentenvironments, such as shopping malls, hospitals, schools, and hotels,therefore opening up new application opportunities.

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Chen Si Yin, Director of Wistron’s Smart Products Business Group, pointed out, “Although Wistron started out as an OEM, we have built up a number of core technologies and strong integration capabilities over the years. We will use the Group’s resources and strategic alliances to create robots for different application scenarios and enter the service robot market.”

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In terms of the robot’s design, it is divided into two parts: the top and bottom. The bottom half is equipped with movement, navigation, and obstacle-avoidance functions. The upper half provides different value added applications depending on the usage context. Wistron’s shopping mall robots are equipped with four cameras. In addition to facial recognition, it can perform a number of AI inference calculations, including the ability to identify goods on the shelves, estimate restocking time, and notify backend personnel to correct misplaced goods.This robot requires powerful computing capabilities to performmultiple tasks such as path decision making, visual recognition,and communication with the backend all at the same time.

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Adopting ROS 2 and Intel’s technologies to speed time to market Deputy Director Huang Chi Ta said that the bottom platform is the part that requires the most computing power, and it needs to be equipped with a variety of sensors such as lidar and radar in order to plan the correct path and avoid obstacles. This is why Wistron chose to partner with ADLINK. Using the Turnkey solution that combines Intel processors and ROS2, not only does this speed time to market, it also enables the R&D team to focus on the development of AI applications on the upper half of the robot.

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Compared to some designs that use two computers to support the upper and lower halves computing needs, ADLINK is able to satisfy all the functional requirements with a single platform. In the future, ACRN Hypervisor can be used to support applications running in different operating systems through virtualization technology, making the design more scalable and flexible.

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In Anticipation of Accelerated AMRApplications Due to the Pandemic, WistronDeploys Business Opportunities in AdvanceUnder the impact of the pandemic, development of the AMR market has beenaccelerated in order to reduce staff exposure and fill the labor gap. For example, the shopping mall robot is like a kiosk that can move around on its own, but with more intelligent and diversified system functions. It can provide various functions such as inquiry, shelf inspection, shopping guide, precision marketing, and check out to effectively reduce the burden of staff dealing with routine work and enhance service value.

Partnering with ADLINK to Greatly Increase the Flexibility of Robotic ApplicationsBased on this common bottom structure, Wistron will launch a range of service robots with different functions in the future. For example, for medical institutions,robots can be used to deliver blood or contaminated samples with identity verification functions to ensure error free delivery. In addition, robots can be combined with 5G real time transmission to assist doctors in remote consultation forward rounds. Similarly, the robots can be used to perform different tasks such as food delivery and sterilization in different sites such as school campuses, hotels, and factories, with many application possibilities.Service robots are brand new products that require the integration of multiple technologies. With the fast growing market, if companies can work together to buildan ecosystem, they will be able to gain a foothold in this emerging market, rather than just playing the role of a follower. The collaboration between Wistron and ADLINK is a good example of accelerating product development and leveraging the synergy of alliances. It is the hope that this trend will bring new development opportunities to the industries