The Raspberry Pi Foundation has partnered with Sony to announce a new AI camera module priced at $70. As the latest member of the Raspberry Pi platform, this new AI camera is designed to help developers easily complete AI image processing tasks. The new AI camera features a Sony IMX500 image sensor and a Raspberry Pi-funded RP2040 microcontroller, performing all processing tasks on board without the need for a GPU. The camera resolution is 12.3 million pixels, capable of recording images at a resolution of 4056 x 3040 at 10 frames per second, or at a resolution of 2028 x 1520 at 40 frames per second. The size of the AI camera is very similar to the Camera Module 3, measuring 25 x 24 x 11.9mm.
Although the Raspberry Pi AI camera is designed for hobbyists, it serves tactile and hardware geeks beyond just DIY enthusiasts. The organization points out that Raspberry Pi is a widely popular industrial product, noting that 72% of its sales come from organizations that incorporate Raspberry Pi products into their operations. With the launch of the AI camera, this number is expected to rise with the growing popularity of smart applications.
The Raspberry Pi has committed to producing its AI camera at least until January 2028 to ensure that developers and businesses relying on this camera can achieve sufficient continuity. Previously, supply chain issues were severely impacted by the pandemic, but these issues have largely been resolved, allowing the organization to continue providing reliable market products to its growing industrial consumers.
Raspberry Pi AI Camera Use Cases
For instance, when connected to AI algorithms, you can turn this camera into a smart doorbell. The AI camera can detect if there are people or packages at the door. This way, you can set up more intelligent alerts than simple motion detection, or as some of you mentioned, a sufficiently complex alert system can become an emotional analysis engine. You will not receive notifications for every little movement, but only when events such as deliveries occur.
If you enjoy DIY home security monitoring, this camera can help you closely monitor certain activity areas, and since the image processing is done on the camera, it won’t overload the other parts of the Raspberry Pi system. Therefore, you can also run other smart home functions simultaneously, such as controlling lights or managing sensors, without encountering too many issues.
The Raspberry Robin malware poses potential dangers on your USB.
For industrial or commercial projects, this camera can be used for quality control systems. Suppose you are supervising a small production line and can place the camera to check if products are assembled correctly and issue warnings when problems arise. Due to its compact size, the current camera can easily fold into existing Raspberry Pi systems, allowing this solution to be scalable to various points along the production line.
Another viable use case could be implemented in smart city initiatives, such as traffic analysis with the help of the AI camera. It can determine empty parking space areas or study traffic patterns at certain intersections. Since the design itself is optimized for performance and modularity, a single camera can be introduced into the system and expanded to multiple cameras in different areas of the city block without needing to redesign most of the system.
Raspberry Pi AI Kit vs AI Camera
You should choose between the Raspberry Pi AI Kit and the AI camera based on your needs. Generally, the AI Kit can perform 13 trillion operations per second, releasing higher performance, but is only compatible with the Raspberry Pi 5, and you need to integrate the camera module. The modern AI camera is smaller, cheaper, and compatible with all models of Raspberry Pi, making it widely applicable for various tasks. For image processing and computing tasks related to neural networks, the AI camera can perform these tasks directly on the vehicle due to the use of the Sony IMX500.
They can support typical AI model deployments we use today, such as TensorFlow or PyTorch, and can be scaled through Sony’s AITRIOS system. This camera seamlessly integrates with the libcamera pipeline supported by Raspberry Pi, allowing you to synchronize image processing with model results in real-time for tasks such as object detection and pose estimation, even while using AI for video processing. Like most Raspberry Pi devices, users can directly access the model library and Sony’s developer resources, enabling them to deploy models directly or fine-tune other models for specific use cases; this AI camera is perfect for those who want to experiment (and have fun) as well as companies needing to solve real-world problems.
Raspberry Pi AI Camera: Complete Specifications
| Feature | Details |
| Sensor | 12.3 million pixel Sony IMX500 smart vision sensor with neural network accelerator |
| Frame Rate | – 2×2 grouping: 2028×1520 10-bit 30fps |
| – Full resolution: 4056×3040 10-bit 10fps | |
| Sensor Size | 7.857 mm |
| Pixel Size | 1.55 μm × 1.55 μm |
| Field of View (FoV) | Manual/mechanical adjustable focal length of 78.3 (±3) degrees |
| Aperture Ratio | F1.79 |
| Module Size | 25 × 24 × 11.9 mm |
| Neural Network Management | Integrated RP2040 microcontroller for firmware management |
| Compatibility | Compatible with all Raspberry Pi models via standard camera connection cable |
| Compliance | Extensive testing completed; meets regional and international standards |
| Obsolescence | Guaranteed production at least until January 2028 |
Featured image source: Raspberry Pi
Tags: AI, artificial intelligence, raspberry pi
References:
- [1] Image source:https://www.raspberrypi.com/
- [2] Raspberry Robin malware:https://dataconomy.com/2024/02/12/what-is-raspberry-robin-malware-defence/
- [3] Raspberry Pi:https://www.raspberrypi.com/
- [4] Artificial Intelligence:https://dataconomy.com/tag/ai/
- [5] Artificial Intelligence:https://dataconomy.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/
- [6] Raspberry Pi:https://dataconomy.com/tag/raspberry-pi/
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