Raspberry Pi and Sony launched the Raspberry Pi AI Camera, a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered camera module, today for $70. This camera is equipped with built-in AI processing capabilities, making it easier for Raspberry Pi users to develop “edge AI solutions that process visual data.”
According to the statement of small computer manufacturer Raspberry Pi, this new camera adds a new one to the various non-AI camera modules that the company has previously developed. The company launched its first 5-megapixel camera module in 2013. “AI-based image processing is becoming an attractive tool for developers around the world,” Eben Upton, the company’s CEO, said in the press release. “We can’t wait to see what our community can achieve by leveraging the power of AI Camera.” he said.
AI Camera is compatible with all of the company’s single-board computers and combines the RP2040 microcontroller chip and Sony’s IMX500 image sensor. Sony’s IMX500 sensor handles AI processing, eliminating the need for extra components such as accelerators or graphics processing unit (GPU) that are typically required for camera modules to process large-scale visual data.
Raspberry Pi AI Camera is almost the same size as Camera Module 3
With a resolution of 12.3 megapixels, the Raspberry Pi AI Camera can capture images at 10 frames per second at 4056 x 3040 resolution or 40 frames per second at 2028 x 1520 resolution. Additionally, this module, which has manual focus adjustment, has a 76-degree viewing angle and dimensions of 25 x 24 x 11.9 mm. With these features, it is almost the same size as the Camera Module 3 that Raspberry Pi released last year.