As demand grows for compact, energy-efficient computing devices that don't sacrifice performance, Aaeon, a well-known name in industrial IoT and AI Edge, has officially introduced the world's smallest fanless Mini-PC. Called the PICO-MTU4-SEMI and built on the Intel Core Ultra platform, this ultra-compact design is expected to open up a range of important uses in industry and automation.
Compact Design, Serious Power
Founded in the early 1990s, Aaeon has expanded globally, from its headquarters in Taipei to offices in Europe and North America. With more than three decades of experience, the company is making its mark again with the PICO-MTU4-SEMI, a Mini-PC that measures just 108 x 95 x 43mm. Thanks to its fanless design, it can be easily integrated into industrial robots and AGVs, running quietly and reliably in demanding environments.
Despite its small size, this Mini-PC is equipped with either the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U or the Core Ultra 7 165U, both with a 15W base power draw and turbo support up to 57W. It includes up to 32GB of LPDDR5-6400 memory (soldered), and supports PCIe Gen 4 and SATA M.2 2280 SSDs for fast expandable storage.
Fanless Mini-PC: An Optimized Solution for Industry and AI Edge
What stands out about the PICO-MTU4-SEMI is its flexible connectivity. It offers two LAN ports (2.5GbE and 1GbE), two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, one HDMI 1.4 port, and two COM ports supporting RS-232/422/485, allowing it to connect to a wide range of industrial devices. In addition, an M.2 2230 E-Key slot lets users add Wi-Fi, while GPIO and an I2C/SMBus port provide more integration options.
The system weighs just 0.6kg and has a volume of 0.44 liters, making it extremely light and compact enough to mount in tight spaces. Notably, the device supports both Windows 10/11 64-bit and Ubuntu 22.04.2, so users can choose the platform that suits them.
For power, the PICO-MTU4-SEMI uses a 3V/240mAh lithium battery to maintain standby power. With a reasonable TDP and its fanless design, the product aims to minimize maintenance and extend service life in environments that run continuously.
Practical Applications and Outlook
The arrival of this fanless Intel Core Ultra Mini-PC opens up many applications across several fields:
- AI Edge: supports on-site, real-time data analysis without depending on the cloud.
- Industrial robots & AGVs: easy to integrate, with quiet and durable operation.
- Kiosks & digital signage: the compact design makes the most of limited space.
- Industrial IoT networks: provides plenty of connection ports for sensors, cameras, and measurement devices.
Aaeon has not announced official pricing, but says the product is ready for mass production and is aimed at OEMs and industrial integration projects.
