DFI, a Qisda Group company and a global leader in embedded motherboards and industrial computing solutions, has unveiled the ARH171/ARH173, further strengthening its AI-ready product lineup with a Mini-ITX platform designed for space-limited, mission-critical applications. Powered by Intel® technology, the ARH171/ARH173 is engineered to support demanding Physical AI workloads spanning perception and reasoning, helping enable advanced smart logistics and industrial automation solutions.
As Physical AI transitions to operational deployment, intralogistics is driving rapid mobile automation adoption. Mordor Intelligence projects the autonomous mobile robot (AMR) market to expand at a CAGR of nearly 15% through 2029 to counter labor shortages, while advanced systems like 3D cube storage robots require on-device AI to navigate floors, climb racks, and process dense sensor streams in real time.
Flexibility starts at the board level. The ARH171/ARH 173 adopts a unified “One Board, Two Generations” architecture, supporting 16 Intel® Core™ Ultra processor options across Meteor Lake-U/H and Arrow Lake-U/H (15–28W; Intel vPro® available on select SKUs). Delivering up to 99 total platform TOPS on Arrow Lake-H models, its integrated Intel® Arc™ GPU and dedicated NPU accelerate AI inference via OpenVINO™, DirectML, and ONNX RT. This lowers reliance on discrete graphics, reducing thermal and spatial overhead while enabling system integrators to scale across performance tiers using a unified platform architecture. The launch will further leverage DFI’s core strengths in embedded computing to support Qisda Group’s overall strategy across its four AI business categories: “AI Vision & Display,” “AI Infrastructure,” “AI Solutions & Smart Manufacturing,” and “AI Hospital & Wellness Ecosystem.”
“System integrators developing next-generation autonomous logistics robots need to shorten validation cycles and avoid recurring redesign costs. By supporting two processor generations on a unified board architecture, the ARH171/ARH173 simplifies long-term platform planning, delivers on-chip AI acceleration, and supports continuous operation through hardware-level remote management.”
-Claire Tien, President of DFI
Once deployed, reliable operation and reduced on-site maintenance become critical. Engineered for 24/7 robotic deployments, the ARH173 features a 12–28V wide-range DC input, up to three 2.5GbE LAN ports, and modular M.2 expansion for flexible sensor integration. To simplify field maintenance, the optional DFI EXT-OOB module enables out-of-band power cycling and OS recovery even if the primary system is unresponsive, while integrated Intel vPro® technology (on select SKUs) provides comprehensive remote hardware management.
From the motherboard level through the complete system and solution, the ARH171/ARH173 provides a deployment-ready platform that brings together support for two generations, built-in AI capabilities, and remote management in one validated solution. This minimizes engineering effort and speeds the journey from initial pilots to full-scale production.
