KEO is an affordable AI-enabled personal computer built around the open RISC-V architecture, Ubuntu Linux and open-source software, targeting wider access to computing and edge AI.
Two semiconductor engineers from Bengaluru have developed KEO, an affordable AI-enabled personal computer based on the open RISC-V architecture. Developed in Karnataka, the system is intended to provide an alternative to the ARM and x86 architectures widely used in personal computers and other computing devices. The engineers selected RISC-V to avoid the licensing fees and royalty obligations associated with proprietary processor architectures.
The adoption of RISC-V also aligns with KEO’s focus on edge AI processing. RISC-V is an open-standard instruction set architecture that can be used to develop processors without proprietary ISA licensing. According to the source, Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge also played a role in the design of KEO.
KEO incorporates several open-source technologies into its computing environment. The platform features a processor based on the RISC-V architecture, along with Ubuntu Linux as its operating system and LibreOffice as its productivity suite. KEO was tested by scientists at the Indian Institute of Science and the International Institute of Information Technology, where it successfully completed the reported evaluations.
Affordability is another major focus of the KEO project, particularly for students and children in rural areas. Despite the sharp rise in global RAM costs, the manufacturing price has been kept below INR 18,999. This makes KEO a lower-cost platform for both AI and general-purpose computing.
The project has also been deployed in educational settings, with an NGO purchasing more than 2,000 units for distribution across Karnataka during the past year. The project demonstrates how open-source hardware and software can help reduce the cost of computing systems while expanding access to AI-enabled technology.
