The rise of generative AI has led to an increased interest in machine learning, prompting many organizations to incorporate this technology into their projects. This trend also extends to creators utilizing single board computers, which is why products like the Raspberry Pi AI Kit are gaining popularity.
The Raspberry Pi AI Kit is an add-on kit designed for Raspberry Pi 5 board computers, offering inferencing capabilities for integrating AI functionality into various projects. Whether you’re developing a keyboard computer, building a smart home solution, or working on a creative installation, this kit enables you to incorporate AI inferencing.
This kit consists of the M.2 HAT+ add-on board, serving as the communication bridge between the AI module and the main processor, and the Hailo-8L M.2 AI accelerator module delivering 13 tera-operations per second (TOPS). While this inferencing power may be modest compared to modern PCs, it is sufficient for projects typically undertaken with single-board computers. The accelerator module consumes only 2W of power and features passive cooling through a thermal pad, with the option to enhance thermal performance further using an active cooler.
Designed to be mounted on top of a Raspberry Pi 5, this kit creates an AI-capable board computer ready to enhance your single-board computer projects with AI inferencing capabilities. The kit is compatible with both first- and third-party cameras for vision applications, supporting the operation of multiple neural networks from single or dual camera feeds. This integration with the camera subsystem addresses a significant challenge when developing real-world vision-based applications, making the kit ideal for vision-focused projects.
The Raspberry Pi AI Kit includes all necessary components for integration with a Raspberry Pi 5 board computer, such as a ribbon cable, GPIO stacking header, and mounting hardware. It is positioned about an inch above the board’s components to allow for sufficient airflow for cooling. Users will need to update the board’s software, install necessary dependencies for the AI kit, and choose from a range of camera applications for use.
The kit can be used with pre-trained neural network models from Hailo’s Model Zoo project on Github, encompassing systems for vehicle detection, face detection, license plate recognition, and more. Detailed setup instructions, software installations, and documentation are available on the kit’s product page.
Priced at $70, the Raspberry Pi AI Kit offers a cost-effective solution for integrating AI inferencing capabilities into single-board computer projects. Additional requirements include a Raspberry Pi 5 board priced at $80 and an optional active cooler available for less than $10.
