Chips&Media and Visionary.ai Unveil the World’s First AI-Based Full Image Signal Processor, Redefining the Future of Image Quality

In a groundbreaking announcement that is poised to transform digital imaging, Chips&Media, a leading provider of video codec and image processing hardware IP, has partnered with Visionary.ai, an innovative startup specializing in AI-driven vision technology, to unveil the world’s first fully AI-based Image Signal Processor (ISP). This revolutionary solution marks a significant shift from traditional hardware-fixed ISPs to a dynamic, software-powered system that leverages artificial intelligence for unparalleled image quality and adaptability.

Traditional Image Signal Processors have long been the backbone of digital cameras, smartphones, security systems, and automotive sensors. These hardware-based pipelines handle raw sensor data, performing tasks like demosaicing, noise reduction, color correction, and exposure adjustment. However, they are rigid, power-hungry, and limited in handling challenging conditions such as low light, high dynamic range (HDR), or fog. Visionary.ai has pioneered a software-based ISP that replaces conventional algorithms with AI models, achieving superior noise reduction. Results in low light show over 75% increase in detection, 91% reduction in false positives, and real-time performance that rivals or exceeds non-real-time alternatives.

By integrating Visionary.ai’s AI ISP technology with Chips&Media’s expertise in efficient hardware IP for image signal processing and computer vision, the collaboration delivers the first complete AI-native full ISP pipeline. This hybrid approach combines the flexibility of software with optimized hardware acceleration, enabling devices to process raw images with machine learning at every stage. The result? Dramatically sharper, more accurate colors, better low-light performance, and enhanced detail preservation, all while reducing power consumption and allowing over-the-air updates to improve performance post-deployment.

This innovation redefines image quality across industries. In consumer electronics, smartphones and action cameras will capture vibrant, noise-free videos in near-darkness. For automotive applications, ADAS and autonomous vehicles gain more reliable object detection in adverse weather. Security and surveillance systems benefit from clearer identification, while drones, medical imaging, robotics, and IoT devices see boosted accuracy in machine vision tasks. The AI ISP can be tuned for specific needs emphasizing greens in agriculture or reds in medical diagnostics and offering customization unmatched by fixed hardware.

What sets this apart as the “world’s first” is its end-to-end AI integration: unlike partial AI enhancements from competitors like Ambarella or Sony, this is a comprehensive replacement of the traditional ISP pipeline with predictive, learning-based processing. Running efficiently on edge devices, it addresses the “garbage-in, garbage-out” problem in AI vision systems by providing cleaner input data from the start.

As AI becomes a standard feature in imaging, this partnership signals a new era where cameras evolve intelligently over time. Chips&Media and Visionary.ai are not just improving image quality, they are future-proofing vision technology, empowering devices to see the world more like the human eye, but better. This breakthrough promises to accelerate advancements in edge AI, making high-performance imaging accessible and affordable worldwide.

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