Custom chip design is moving fast into autonomous machinery. SEMIFIVE, a specialist in application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) solutions, has signed a full turnkey development contract with chip startup Mobilint. Together, they plan to build dedicated silicon engineered specifically for smart robotics.
The initiative is part of South Korea’s “K-On-Device AI Semiconductor Technology Development” program, backed by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR). The program funds partnerships between local semiconductor innovators and product makers to bring practical, market-ready silicon to life.
Rather than relying on remote cloud servers, modern field hardware needs on-chip computing power. Many machines—such as autonomous tractors and harvesting equipment—work in rural fields where internet connectivity is patchy or nonexistent. This new processor will handle heavy computer vision and multi-sensor workloads locally in real time, ensuring steady operation in unpredictable weather and terrain.
To streamline creation, the partnership relies on SEMIFIVE’s “Spec Hand-off” model. In traditional chip manufacturing, clients must finish complex architectural work before passing the blueprint to a backend partner. With Spec Hand-off, Mobilint outlines the performance metrics and functional targets, and SEMIFIVE takes charge of the entire journey: full physical design, verification, packaging, test engineering, and mass production.
The silicon will pack top-tier interface and memory standards to prevent data bottlenecks:
- LPDDR6: Ultra-low-power memory architecture for long battery life.
- PCIe Gen6: High-speed data transfer between system components.
- UCIe-S (Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express): Advanced chiplet packaging that links modular silicon dies within a single unit, delivering monolithic performance with lower defect rates and reduced manufacturing costs.
By uniting cutting-edge modular packaging with on-device capability, both firms aim to strengthen South Korea’s fabless ecosystem and claim an early advantage in industrial automation.
“This contract marks a pivotal moment for SEMIFIVE as we extend our proven, end-to-end ASIC capabilities from data center and edge AI into the realm of robotics AI,” said Brandon Cho, CEO and co-founder of SEMIFIVE. “As a leader in custom semiconductors, we will continue to expand our technological footprint and influence across advanced industries.”
