ALPON X5 AI Edge Computer

Background Problem: The demand for real-time AI analysis is exploding in various fields such as manufacturing plants, smart cities, and autonomous driving. However, sending data to the cloud for AI processing results inlatencyand network costs, as well as the risk of personal information leakage. Conversely, building AI computing directly on-site involves complex HW/SW integration, making it unrealistic for small and medium-sized sites.

Limitations of Existing Methods: Edge AI modules like NVIDIA Jetson existed, but applying them in practice required customizing power, communication, heat dissipation, security, and management solutions individually. Ultimately, the difficulty of system integration made it challenging to introduce AI on-site, except for large corporations.

Also, even if some IoT gateways existed, their AI inference performance was weak or they were closed systems, lacking flexibility. Even if edge devices were installed on-site, OTA updates or monitoring were difficult, limiting scalability.

Plug-and-Play Edge AI Gateway: ALPON X5 AI is an all-in-one device that can be installed directly on-site and operates simply by connecting the power. Based on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5, it provides a familiar environment for developers, and is equipped with DEEPX's DX-M1 NPU acceleration chip to perform powerful AI inference with low power consumption.

It immediately processes camera or sensor data, transmitting only events and leaving the raw data locally, thus achieving both real-time performance and data privacy. In the industrial field,"AI box that works right away with a nod"is its greatest strength.

Perfect On-Site Connectivity and Management: ALPON X5 has built-in 2-port wired Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and eSIM-based 4G LTE communication, ensuring connectivity in any field environment. In particular, dual/triple backup communication automatically switches even if the network is unstable, ensuring no data is missed.

In addition, the Sixfab cloud console allows one-click remote updates (OTA), status monitoring, and policy settings for hundreds of devices, **significantly reducing the operational burden of large-scale on-site deployments.** It is differentiated in that small and medium-sized businesses can manage the edge with a web dashboard without a separate server infrastructure.

Coexistence of Security and Openness: Since security is important in industrial sites, ALPON X5 applies signature verification (verified boot) through a security chip from the boot stage, as well as firmware integrity verification. It is also designed as a completely open platform so that customers can freely run the AI models or protocols they want.

Sixfab has prepared aModel Zoobut you can also upload your own models, providing high flexibility to respond to various usage scenarios. This is a competitive advantage that allows the field to quickly realize what it wants compared to previous closed solutions.

Purchasing Decision Makers: The main customers are manufacturing plants (smart factories), logistics warehouses/retail stores, smart city/transportation infrastructure operators, and security surveillance service companies. For example, it targets all places where AI camera/sensor data needs to be processed immediately on-site, such as production line defect detection, store customer flow analysis, construction site safety monitoring, and waste collection vehicle data processing.

In addition, SI companies building IoT solutions can purchase this device in bulk as a component to quickly add deep learning capabilities to their customers.

B2C/B2B/B2G Classification: This is a B2B product. Rather than being used by end consumers, it is purchased by companies for installation on their sites, or used by system integrators in projects. Some enterprise customers first introduce a pilot kit, so a B2B2C community is also being formed through the Innovator Program provided by Sixfab.

Environmental/Regulatory Constraints: Global communication modules and electromagnetic wave certifications must be secured, but communication certifications for each country, such as 4G LTE eSIM, are already being prepared, and industrial-grade durability (dustproof, heat dissipation) has also been achieved. There are no special regulatory risks, and a modular certification strategy is being adopted to allow sales in multiple countries.

Industry/Market Expansion: The edge AI market is a rapidly growing field, and Sixfab ALPON X5 has already gained international recognition by winning the CES Best of Innovation Award. Thanks to the strategy of utilizing the Raspberry Pi ecosystem, community support and a pool of developers are also abundant, making it easy for small and medium-sized solution companies to adopt.

Product lineup expansion to 5G or high-performance versions is also possible in the future, and market penetration is expected to accelerate through partnerships in each industry domain (e.g., smart agriculture, smart security, etc.). However, competition includes large players such as NVIDIA and Qualcomm, so continuous price competitiveness and niche strategies remain a challenge.

Innovation Award and Reactions: ALPON X5 won the CES 2026 Best of Innovation Award – Enterprise Technology category, and was highlighted by the Raspberry Pi Foundation as "Raspberry Pi-based AI gateway that hit CES 2026," drawing significant attention. It is evaluated as a practical innovation that understands the needs of the field, and industry experts are giving positive reviews, calling it a "game changer in field AI."

Technological Completeness: Sixfab already had know-how in communication modules, and ALPON X5 is known to have undergone prototype feedback through Kickstarter in 2025. At the CES site, it gave confidence as a mature product through physical exhibitions and demos. The implementation of enterprise essential elements such as secure booting and remote management is rated highly for product completeness.

Market Expectations: In the IoT industry, ALPON X5 is expected to be a catalyst for small and medium-sized businesses to adopt AI. Along with interested views such as "Will it be an alternative to NVIDIA Jetson?", there are many prospects that it will be widely adopted if provided at a reasonable price. Thanks to the familiarity of Raspberry Pi, the global maker/developer community is also highly responsive, so rapid ecosystem expansion is also expected.

Overestimation/Underestimation Factors: From some conservative perspectives, there are indications that more verification is needed in terms of corporate reliability or mass production capabilities compared to large enterprise solutions. There are also concerns about whether expectations for the "edge AI" keyword are exaggerated amid the AI craze.

However, to date, Sixfab has been seen as a hidden powerhouse rather than being greatly overestimated, with a combination of technology and practicality, compared to the mainstream industry.