Nvidia’s Always-On Chip Detects Faces in Less Than a Millisecond

IEEE Spectrum AI
Computer Vision Robotics AI Hardware

Always-on vision systems might be used in autonomous vehicles, robotics, or to help consumer electronics save power by turning screens off when no one’s around. But to be used in such a way, these systems need to minimize their own power consumption. An always-on computer vision system developed by Nvidia researchers can detect human faces in less than a millisecond. The face detector, which is part of an chip that could be integrated into robots, autonomous vehicles, or laptops, saves power by storing all data locally and “racing to sleep” after detections.