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Hailo Kit brings AI to Raspberry Pi, expanding its potential in more ways than we can think of

AI is taking over Raspberry Pi
Last Updated on June 5, 2024
Hailo Kit brings AI to Raspberry Pi, expanding its potential in more ways than we can think of
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Raspberry Pi is making a big push into the world of Artificial Intelligence. The company is working with Hailo, which is known for manufacturing AI processors, to expand what the credit-card-sized computer can do. The two have partnered up to create Hailo-8L, a module that introduces AI to Raspberry Pi 5. This year has certainly been a big one for all things AI, and seeing support for the humble RasPi will help power many more projects and bring AI-powered solutions into play.

Introducing the Raspberry Pi AI kit

The Raspberry Pi AI kit from Hailo might look simple, but it packs a punch when it comes to performance. It integrates a Hailo-8L AI accelerator module with Raspberry Pi’s M.2 HAT board, and while it may not be the most powerful AI chip in the world, it still offers 13 tera-operations per second (TOPS). This is pretty impressive considering AMD’s 7040-series chips offer 10 TOPS and Intel’s Meteor Lake processors are slightly better, with 11 TOPs. In other words, the Hailo-8L is faster and cheaper than both, thus providing better value for the money you’re spending.

The Hailo-8L module (Image source: Raspberry Pi)

Another interesting thing about the Hailo-8L is that it’s power efficient. Thanks to this, Raspberry Pi 5 will be able to handle complex AI tasks like object detection and facial recognition while keeping energy consumption low. This makes it a great choice for those who want something that can help them build real-time AI applications without consuming extra power. Also, the kit comes with a pre-fitted thermal pad, so you won’t have to worry about heating issues during complex tasks.

When speaking about this new AI kit, Eben Upton, Raspberry Pi CEO, said, “Our collaboration with Hailo enables Raspberry Pi’s industrial customers to integrate AI into high-performance solutions that are extremely cost-effective and power-efficient. For enthusiasts, the AI Kit provides an accessible way to enhance their creative projects with AI.” He continued, “Hailo’s combination of high compute power and low power consumption make it an incredibly attractive AI solution for professionals and enthusiasts alike.“

How will the new AI kit benefit Raspberry Pi users?

The new Hailo Kit will definitely change the way hobbyists, educators, and even businesses use Raspberry Pi. Its uses will go beyond home automation, security, and robotics. Even if we take smart home automation as an example, Raspberry Pi can act as the brain of the system. With AI features, it can help adjust the lighting based on the surroundings, recognize faces for access, identify a threat, and much more. Similarly, if you integrate it into security cameras, then Raspberry Pi can identify objects or people, and notify you if it spots a specific face or something strange. The video below demonstrates how the AI kit identifies objects.

Another example can be voice assistants. You can use AI to create your own voice assistant with Raspberry Pi, which can answer questions, control your home devices, and much more. We previously explained five different uses of Raspberry Pi, and all of them can be improved with the help of the new AI kit. While this is just the beginning, we may get to see more powerful versions of this kit and Raspberry Pi in the future that may be able to create more complex projects.

If you’re interested in getting your hands on the Raspberry Pi AI kit, you can pre-order it for $70 from Raspberry Pi approved resellers. The first batch is expected to ship by the end of July or mid-August.

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.