At embedded world 2026, on the DigiKey booth, Paige Hookway speaks with John Weil, VP & GM for IoT and Edge AI Processor Business at Synaptics about Synaptics Astra and Edge AI leadership.
With 28 years of experience in embedded systems, Weil leads Synaptics’ Edge AI, embedded compute, and connectivity programmes, focusing on making the technology accessible, affordable, and impactful for consumers and businesses alike.
He said that Edge AI has become increasingly practical over the past 12 to 18 months due to three converging factors: advancements in silicon performance, improved software capabilities, and the maturation of AI models developed in Cloud environments. He said that modern embedded processors can now execute sophisticated AI models locally, delivering fast performance, enhanced privacy, and new market opportunities. This integration of hardware, software, and Cloud research has enabled product innovations that were not feasible even a year or two ago.
Synaptics’ Edge AI strategy emphasises open, collaborative development rather than proprietary systems. Weil stressed the importance of working closely with AI researchers to ensure embedded devices can quickly adopt and execute the latest AI advancements. He highlighted Synaptics’ partnerships with major research organisations, including Google Research, to bring technologies such as transformers and advanced AI models to Edge devices. The company also focuses on multimodal AI, integrating vision, audio, and sensor inputs to create more context-aware and intuitive devices.
Several concrete applications of multimodal Edge AI were discussed. In consumer scenarios, a smart espresso machine could recognise a user’s presence, understand spoken instructions, identify individual users by voice, and adjust its behaviour accordingly without relying on Cloud connectivity. Similarly, TV and home audio systems can deliver personalised, context-sensitive experiences, such as directing sound based on room occupancy or pausing content in response to gestures, enhancing convenience and accessibility. Edge AI also enables intelligent household appliances, like dishwashers, to understand complex instructions, manage operations autonomously, and provide detailed status updates without Cloud reliance.
Synaptics also addresses practical engineering challenges by emphasising open-source development and security. The majority of the company’s software and models are open source, enabling transparency, security, and faster time-to-market through community contributions. Partnerships with experts in specific domains, such as vision or audio, further accelerate innovation while reducing development friction for customers.
Looking ahead, Weil highlighted key areas of investment over the next 24 months, including optimising price, power, and performance to make Edge AI solutions more accessible. He noted the emerging potential of vision-language models, which combine visual recognition with contextual reasoning. These models can interpret complex scenarios, such as identifying unusual patterns in home security, and respond autonomously, keeping sensitive data local while enhancing safety and awareness.
Weil concluded that the combination of advanced Edge AI hardware, collaborative development, and real-world applications makes this a particularly exciting period for embedded systems and AI, enabling devices that are smarter, more responsive, and capable of operating independently from Cloud infrastructure.
Find out more in the interview below.
