Raspberry Pi Launches New AI Camera With Built-In AI | Festina Lente - Your leading source of AI news | Turtles AI
Raspberry Pi Launches New AI Camera With Built-In AI
A compact and versatile solution for advanced visual processing, ideal for industrial and smart applications
Isabella V
The Raspberry Pi AI Camera, a new AI-powered visual processing module, promises to expand industrial and smart use cases. Priced at $70, it offers advanced functionality in a compact design that’s easy to integrate into Raspberry Pi devices.
Key Points:
- Integrated AI: The module is based on a Sony IMX500 sensor with on-board AI inference capabilities.
- Extensive compatibility: Works with all Raspberry Pi models without the need for additional accelerators.
- Real-time processing: Runs neural network models without overloading the CPU.
- Price and features: It costs $70, significantly more than other modules, but offers advanced capabilities for specific projects.
Raspberry Pi has introduced its new AI Camera, a Sony IMX500 sensor-based module that integrates AI image processing capabilities, targeting industrial and enterprise markets that need efficient computer vision solutions. The device, priced at $70, features an RP2040 microcontroller, the same one used in the most recent Raspberry Pi models, which handles image processing and real-time AI inference tasks. Rather than a simple image sensor, this module is designed to run models such as the MobileNet-SSD, which can detect and classify objects directly in the camera, without taxing the main Raspberry Pi’s CPU.
The module measures 25mm x 24mm, the same size as Camera Module 3, although slightly thicker, and is compatible with the full range of Raspberry Pi devices, including the more affordable models such as the Pi Zero. Its main innovation lies in its ability to process visual data locally: the AI Camera adds tensor metadata to photos and videos, allowing it to be used in complex projects without the need for external accelerator hardware. This allows small Raspberry Pi computers to perform other operations in parallel, making it particularly suitable for applications where fast, low-power visual processing is required.
Compared to the Camera Module 3, which costs around $25, the AI Camera is positioned in a higher price range, justified by the presence of integrated AI. While it lacks some features such as autofocus and a higher frame rate, the AI Camera makes up for it with on-board inference capability and operation at 10 fps at maximum resolution (4,056 x 3,040) or 30 fps at a lower resolution (2,028 x 1,520). However, it is not sensitive to infrared, potentially limiting its use in low-light scenarios. From an architectural point of view, it has 8 MB of memory dedicated to the firmware and files for managing neural networks, which makes it autonomous for processing visual data without affecting the resources of the Raspberry Pi.
Ease of use is one of the strengths of the device: initial tests on test units have shown that, with minimal software configuration, it is possible to get the module up and running in just a few minutes. The Python interface allows for quick integration with existing libraries for controlling the camera and performing tasks such as object detection and classification. In addition, the decision to equip the module with 200 mm cables for the different types of connectors used in Raspberry Pi, standard or mini, makes it easy to install across the range of devices.
The main target market for this product is likely to be industry, where the AI Camera can be used in applications such as traffic flow monitoring, parking detection, or in production lines for quality assurance automation. The ability to purchase an AI visual processing module at a relatively low cost could make this solution attractive for companies looking to add AI capabilities without having to rely on expensive hardware such as GPUs. Raspberry Pi has already demonstrated its ability to produce in large volumes, and despite post-pandemic supply challenges, it has managed to maintain a stable supply chain, which is why it plans to keep the AI Camera in production until at least 2028.
While the AI Camera is priced higher than other Raspberry Pi modules, it represents a complete solution for those who need AI-based visual processing.
