IIT Delhi researchers have developed what the institute describes as India’s first working and demonstrable indigenous micro-GPU, a graphics processor designed to accelerate image, video and graphics calculations in electronic devices. The technology could eventually support low-cost systems such as e-rickshaw dashboards, industrial machine displays, navigation terminals and educational e-book readers.
The micro-GPU has been developed by researchers in IIT Delhi’s Department of Electrical Engineering. According to the institute, it is the first such design developed and successfully demonstrated by an Indian university. The project was carried out under the guidance of Professor Jayadeva and Professor Kaushik Saha by MTech students Nammi Aakash and M. Ravi Teja.
A GPU, or graphics processing unit, is a processor used to handle graphics-related calculations more quickly. It is used in computers and electronic equipment to process images, video and visual interfaces, and is also used in artificial intelligence, machine learning and other modern technologies.
The research team developed the micro-GPU as a fully digital design and tested it on programmable hardware. IIT Delhi said the system successfully demonstrated its ability to generate graphics and display them on a screen. The demonstration establishes that the design can perform its intended graphics-processing functions on the tested hardware, although the institute has not announced a commercial product or mass deployment.
The institute said the technology could help reduce dependence on imported technology over time. IIT Delhi’s announcement stated that all GPUs currently used in the country are imported. The proposed applications for the micro-GPU are focused on devices where lower-cost graphics processing could be useful, including industrial machine interfaces, human-machine interfaces, e-rickshaw dashboards, navigation terminals on small fishing vessels and educational e-book readers.
The design can also be used with programmable hardware platforms such as application-specific integrated circuits and field-programmable gate arrays. These platforms are used to implement digital hardware for particular functions or to test and modify designs before a final chip is produced.
For urban transport, the potential application in e-rickshaw dashboards is relevant because these vehicles increasingly rely on electronic displays and onboard control interfaces. However, the institute’s announcement does not establish that the micro-GPU has already been integrated into any e-rickshaw, vehicle dashboard or commercial device. Its present status is a demonstrated research design.
The research team is now working on a more advanced version based on an eight- to 16-core vector graphics processor. It also plans to develop a compiler, graphics software and an initial chip model for the technology. These components would be necessary to move from a demonstrated hardware design towards a broader, usable system.
IIT Delhi said the team would also seek financial support for commercial applications and work towards taking the technology to the market. The announcement did not specify a commercial launch date, funding amount, manufacturing partner or confirmed deployment schedule. The next stated steps are the development of the expanded processor, associated software and an initial chip model.
