DFI Introduces One Board, Two CPU Generations Mini-ITX Platform to Advance Physical AI for Robotics and Automation

TAIPEI, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- DFI, a Qisda Group company and a global leader in embedded motherboards and industrial computers, introduces the ARH171/ARH173, expanding its AI-ready portfolio with a Mini-ITX platform built for space-constrained, mission-critical deployments. Powered by Intel® technologies, the ARH171/ARH173 is purpose-built to handle demanding Physical AI workloads from perception to reasoning, enabling next-generation smart logistics and industrial automation.

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/ARH173 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," said Claire Tien, President of DFI. "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."

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 board to system to solution, the ARH171/ARH173 delivers a deployment-ready foundation that consolidates dual-generation scalability, native AI performance, and remote management into a single validation point, reducing engineering overhead and accelerating the transition from pilot to production.

About DFI

Founded in 1981, DFI is a global leading provider of high-performance computing technology across multiple embedded industries. With its innovative design and premium quality management system, DFI's industrial-grade solutions enable customers to optimize their equipment and ensure high reliability, long-term life cycle, and 24/7 durability in a breadth of markets including Industrial Automation, Medical, Gaming, Transportation, Energy, Mission-Critical, and Intelligent Retail.