Game-changing AI camera launched by Raspberry Pi and Sony

The Raspberry Pi AI Camera, which is compatible with the company’s range of single-board computers, will accelerate the development of AI solutions which process visual data at the edge.

The product is now available to buy from Raspberry Pi’s network of approved resellers for a suggested retail price of $70 (£52.20p).

It was only in April that SSS revealed it would make a minority investment in Raspberry Pi. The companies have since been working to develop an edge AI platform for the community of Raspberry Pi developers, based on SSS technology.

The AI Camera is powered by SSS’s IMX500 intelligent vision sensor, which is capable of on-chip AI image processing, and enables Raspberry Pi users around the world to easily and efficiently develop edge AI solutions that process visual data.

Because vision data is normally massive, using it to develop AI solutions can require a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerator, and a variety of other components in addition to a camera.

The new camera, however, is equipped with the IMX500 intelligent vision sensor which handles AI processing, making it easy to develop edge AI solutions with just a Raspberry Pi and the AI Camera.

The camera is compatible with all Raspberry Pi single-board computers, including the latest Raspberry Pi 5. This enables users to develop solutions with familiar hardware and software, taking advantage of the widely used and powerful libcamera and Picamera2 software libraries.

Eita Yanagisawa, General Manager, System Solutions Division, Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, said: “SSS and Raspberry Pi aim to provide Raspberry Pi users and the development community with a unique development experience.

“I’m very excited to share SSS edge AI sensing technology with the world’s largest development community as the first fruits of our strategic partnership.

“We look forward to further collaboration with Raspberry Pi using our AITRIOS™ edge AI solution development and operations platform. We aim to make the most of AI cameras equipped with our image sensors in our collaborative efforts with Raspberry Pi.”

Eben Upton, CEO at Raspberry Pi, said: “AI-based image processing is becoming an attractive tool for developers around the world. Together with our longstanding image sensor partner Sony Semiconductor Solutions, we have developed the Raspberry Pi AI Camera, incorporating Sony’s image sensor expertise. We look forward to seeing what our community members are able to achieve using the power of the Raspberry Pi AI Camera.”

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation and the global leader in image sensors. It operates in the semiconductor business, which includes image sensors and other products.

Raspberry Pi is on a mission to put high-performance, low-cost, general-purpose computing platforms in the hands of enthusiasts and engineers all over the world.

With its low price point and eliminating the need for a GPU and other costly components, the new AI camera has an enormous number of potential use cases. These include:

• Factory floors: The camera instantly detects defects like missing or misaligned parts, preventing costly mistakes before they happen.

• Labs: Speeding up diagnostics, identifying and counting different cell types on microscope slides in minutes.

• Gyms and workplaces: Analysis of posture in real time, ensuring perfect form in weightlifting or safe lifting in manual handling.