TOKYO, September 30, 2026 - VicOne, an automotive and Physical AI cybersecurity company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, today announced that it has successfully implemented xCarbon, its intrusion detection and prevention system (IDPS) for edge devices, on SPRESENSE, an Internet of Things (IoT) board computer developed by Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (headquartered in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan). Verification testing confirmed that xCarbon's controller area network (CAN) message anomaly detection functionality operates correctly on the SPRESENSE platform. The implementation is part of VicOne's expansion from automotive cybersecurity into the Physical AI domain.

Figure 1. SPRESENSE, the Internet of Things (IoT) board computer developed by Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, shown with a camera board attached. Image: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation.

Edge devices that support Physical AI in automobiles, robots, drones, and other applications are becoming targets of increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks that exploit artificial intelligence (AI). As the use of Physical AI expands, these edge devices are also becoming more powerful, including the ability to perform AI inference locally without relying on the cloud. To extend the security expertise VicOne has cultivated in the automotive sector to robotics, industrial equipment, and the broader Physical AI domain, VicOne implemented xCarbon on SPRESENSE and conducted verification testing of xCarbon's CAN message anomaly detection functionality.

Based on the SPRESENSE verification results, VicOne will explore the potential deployment of xCarbon across a variety of edge devices in the Physical AI domain. VicOne will continue to apply the security technologies it has developed in the automotive sector to a diverse range of devices, including robots and drones, and will support the integration of security from the development stage onward.

Through this initiative, VicOne confirmed three findings relevant to edge device security:

• Security must be embedded at the edge device level. As devices equipped with advanced AI become increasingly widespread and AI-enabled cyber threats continue to grow, security measures must be implemented directly on the edge devices that are themselves potential targets of attack.
• xCarbon's CAN message anomaly detection successfully operates on SPRESENSE. VicOne implemented xCarbon on SPRESENSE and confirmed that xCarbon's CAN message anomaly detection functionality operates correctly. SPRESENSE is an Internet of Things (IoT) board computer, developed by Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, that combines low power consumption with on-device AI inference capabilities.
• xCarbon's architecture supports flexible cross-platform deployment. Because xCarbon can be embedded regardless of operating system or hardware platform, VicOne can apply xCarbon not only to in-vehicle ECUs but also to IoT board computers such as SPRESENSE.

"As physical AI continues to evolve, edge devices such as those found in automobiles, robots, and drones are gaining more advanced processing capabilities than ever before, while at the same time becoming targets of new forms of cyberattack," said Max Cheng, Chief Executive Officer, VicOne. “In this initiative, VicOne confirmed that xCarbon's CAN message anomaly detection functionality operates correctly on SPRESENSE, an IoT board computer with on-device AI inference capabilities."

"Because xCarbon can be embedded regardless of operating system or hardware platform, we believe it can be applied to a wide variety of devices going forward. VicOne will continue advancing edge security for the Physical AI era and, together with our partners, contribute to the safe and secure adoption of mobility and robotics."

What Is VicOne xCarbon?

VicOne xCarbon is a software-based intrusion detection and prevention system (IDPS) designed to protect edge devices, including in-vehicle electronic control units (ECUs).

xCarbon's lightweight, modular architecture enables users to select and configure only the detection functions required for a device's performance and intended application. As a result, xCarbon can be integrated into hardware platforms ranging from low-end microcontrollers (MCUs) to high-end high-performance computers (HPCs).

Based on VicOne's proprietary automotive threat intelligence, xCarbon incorporates more than 2,000 threat expert rules derived from attack techniques. xCarbon's security capabilities include controller area network (CAN) message anomaly detection, denial-of-service (DoS) attack detection, container escape attack detection, Ethernet firewall protection, and a host-based intrusion detection system (IDS), and xCarbon performs detection with minimal CPU and memory usage.

VicOne has also begun offering Rthena, an operational risk monitoring and protection platform for Physical AI that is based on xCarbon.

About “SPRESENSE™

SPRESENSE is an IoT board computer developed by Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation. Despite its low power consumption, it features GPS reception capabilities and a high-resolution audio codec.

It supports multi-GNSS positioning as well as playback and recording of 192 kHz/24-bit audio, and offers high processing performance through a processor equipped with six Arm® Cortex®-M4F cores. When combined with a camera expansion board, it can also perform on-device image processing and object recognition.

SPRESENSE is used in the development of a wide range of applications, including drones, smart speakers, fixed-point cameras, safety monitoring, and infrastructure inspection.

SPRESENSE and its logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Group Corporation or its affiliates.

All company and product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

About VicOne

VicOne was established as a subsidiary of Trend Micro with a vision of protecting the vehicles of the future. The company provides cybersecurity software and services for the mobility sector, where vehicle digitalization is advancing through connected cars, SDVs (software-defined vehicles), and other technologies, and supports customers in building robust security frameworks.

Building on the technologies and threat intelligence it has developed in the automotive sector, VicOne is also expanding its business into the physical AI domain, including humanoid robots, other robotic systems, and drones. As AI increasingly takes on decision-making and control functions within devices, VicOne is conducting threat research focused on AI robotics and developing security technologies for physical AI through its innovation research laboratory, “LAB R7.”