Hon Hai Technology Group (鴻海科技集團), known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康) overseas, yesterday launched its first high-performance computing (HPC) system applying artificial intelligence (AI) to precision medicine, sports data analysis and 3D rendering.
Early this month, Hon Hai unveiled a multi-access edge computing platform and facial recognition technology for a wide range of applications from home security to e-commerce.
The system is Hon Hai’s latest step to introduce AI and high-computing technology to everyday life, such as in precision medicine.
The supercomputer, using AI, can identify tumors and analyze genomic variations in treatment, allowing doctors to create customized healthcare plans, a company statement said.
PREVENTATIVE
“HPC system technology can be applied to a wide range of subjects. We target scientific research and preventive medicine,” Hon Hai business group president Lu Fang-ming (呂芳銘) said.
“The system is primarily used for ultra-high-definition, up to 8K, image identification and analysis,” Lu added.
The HPC system in Kaohsiung is the result of Hon Hai’s decades-long efforts in developing cloud-enabled technologies, Lu said.
The computing power of the HPC system is equal to that of 5.4 million iPhone X’s, he said.
“We want to provide ‘computing as a service,’” Lu said. “We are providing virtual machine services, different from the colocation service offered by most telecoms in Taiwan.”
Hon Hai’s HPC is the nation’s first privately run supercomputer and the company is aiming to provide more affordable services for ordinary people, Lu said.
Using AI, the system can be used to help sequence genomic data and help identify genome-caused diseases, Lu said.
“This would cost between US$6,000 and US$8,000 in the US. We hope to reduce the expense and allow the general public access,” he added.
Redfalcon Computing (睿驊電算), a subsidiary of Hon Hai, is working to develop deep-learning in X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging to identify breast and lung cancers.
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