Researchers at IIT Delhi have developed and tested what they describe as India’s first working indigenous micro-GPU, a graphics processor designed to support low-cost display systems and reduce reliance on imported graphics technology.
The project was undertaken by researchers in the institute’s Department of Electrical Engineering under the supervision of Professors Jayadeva and Kaushik Saha. MTech students Nammi Akash and M. Ravi Teja worked on the system, which was built using Register Transfer Language, or RTL.
The team successfully demonstrated graphics rendering on a Spartan-7 FPGA platform. According to the researchers, the development represents an early step towards creating domestic graphics technology for artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced computing applications.
Graphics processing units are used to render images and operate display systems. The report said that the GPUs currently used in India are imported, making the development relevant to the country’s effort to build domestic capability in advanced computing hardware. The researchers said the micro-GPU could eventually help reduce dependence on overseas suppliers.
The initial system is intended for applications where affordable and functional graphics processing is required rather than high-end computing performance. Potential uses identified by the team include industrial control displays, dashboards for e-rickshaws, navigation screens on small fishing boats, low-cost e-book readers and human-machine interfaces.
The technology can be implemented on hardware platforms such as application-specific integrated circuits, or ASICs, and field-programmable gate arrays, or FPGAs. These platforms are used to configure and deploy specialised computing functions in embedded systems and electronic devices.
The project also has a direct urban technology dimension. E-rickshaw dashboards and other compact display systems are part of the everyday infrastructure used in transport, industrial operations and public-facing services. Lower-cost domestic components could give manufacturers another option for building such systems, although the report does not establish commercial availability or large-scale deployment.
The IIT Delhi team is now working on an advanced graphics processor with between eight and 16 cores. It also plans to develop a new system based on a 65-nanometre process, along with the software tools required to operate it.
The researchers are preparing to seek financial support to bring the technology to market, integrate it into systems and develop it at commercial scale. The next stage will therefore involve moving from a tested research prototype towards product development and industry integration.
The reported achievement establishes that the micro-GPU has been built and tested on an FPGA platform. Its commercial performance, manufacturing pathway, cost, software ecosystem and adoption by device makers have not yet been detailed in the supplied report.
