About Raspberry Pi for dummies like me. And what does SONY have to do with AI?
Recently, news on Raspberry has been coming out with enviable regularity. For example, botwhere I keep up with technology and artificial intelligence news for my blogfor the last two weeks it has been publishing news about Raspberry a day, which has never happened before. And all this is in the topic of AI.
I decided to figure out what kind of device this is, why it was called the Russian verb “Disassemble”, and what does the Sony camera have to do with the latest news. And in general, I wanted to understand how it happened that I know how to hammer a nail into a wall, assemble a construction set with a child, I even know Python, set up machine learning models, deploy meshes on a GPU, but have never crossed paths with Raspberry.
In short, this article is for dummies like me. Let's figure it out together.
What is Raspberry Pi?
Raspberry Pi is a small, affordable and powerful single board computer created by a British foundation Raspberry Pi Foundation. The name “Raspberry Pi” is chosen after the raspberry (“raspberry” in English) as part of the tradition of naming computer companies after fruits (for example, Apple), and “Pi” is believed to symbolize Python, a programming language that is being actively promoted for use with this device. Why not “Py” then? Or why isn't “Pi” the number “pi”? Personally, it seems to me that “Pi” is an abbreviation for the word pie and it turns out like Raspberry Pi is a “raspberry pie”. That is, Raspberry Pi is a play on words and meanings.
The main idea behind creating the Raspberry Pi was to teach children and adults how to program, develop their own projects, and just play with something not too expensive, but quite powerful. The Raspberry Pi can be used to create a variety of projects, from simple smart devices to quite complex systems, including artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
Almost all Raspberry Pi models are very compact, but have fairly good performance. There are many versions of the device, ranging from the very first models with limited resources to the latest ones that can be compared to full-fledged computers.
Raspberry Pi 1: The first version, released in 2012, had limited resources and was used mainly for simple educational tasks and experiments.
Raspberry Pi 2: Improved version with a more powerful processor and increased RAM, which made it possible to use the device for more complex projects.
Raspberry Pi 3: Included built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which greatly expanded the possibilities of using the device.
Raspberry Pi 4: The current version offers various configurations of RAM (from 2 to 8 GB), USB 3.0 and Gigabit Ethernet, making it a powerful platform comparable to a full-fledged PC.
Raspberry Pi Zero and Zero W: Miniature versions aimed at projects with limited space. Raspberry Pi Zero W includes built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Raspberry Pi 400: Computer integrated with a keyboard, intended for educational purposes and home use.
Areas of application
Raspberry Pi is often used both for education and as the basis for projects – for example, media servers, smart home systems, the Internet of things and even robots. Here are a few examples that show how diversely this device can be used:
Training and Education: Raspberry Pi is widely used in schools and universities around the world to teach programming and electronics. Students can learn the basics of Python, Scratch, and work with GPIO.
GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) – universal pins on the Raspberry Pi board that can be configured for various tasks: both for reading data from sensors and for controlling external devices such as LEDs or motors.
Using GPIO allows the Raspberry Pi to interact with the physical world, making it very useful in various electronics, automation and robotics projects. Students can work with GPIOs to connect sensors and even create their own simple projects such as automated home systems.
One of the smart feeders For example, the Smart Animal Feeder project allows students to learn about programming, automation, and ecology. In this project, Raspberry Pi is used to control the camera and motion sensor, which helps in automatically detecting the presence of pets and dispensing food on a schedule or when motion is detected. This is a great way for kids to learn the basics of the Internet of Things (IoT).
Diagram of another smart feeder. There is even a pump to supply water to the animals. Nobody likes to eat dry food 😉 We also see that there is a camera and remote sensors that respond to sound. Media servers and multimedia projects: Using Raspberry Pi, you can create a home media server for streaming movies and music. The Kodi platform allows you to turn your Raspberry Pi into a multimedia entertainment center, with support for various formats and streaming services. This project is attractive due to the low cost of the device and high configuration flexibility.
You can code this Kodi yourself 😉 Internet of Things (IoT): Raspberry Pi is often used to create IoT devices. An example is a smart home system in which a Raspberry Pi controls lighting, heating and security. It can also be used to monitor temperature, humidity and other parameters in the house, with the possibility of remote control via the Internet.
In the AWS diagram, in Russia you can use any other cloud service. Robotics: Many enthusiasts and even schoolchildren are creating robots using Raspberry Pi. For example, a project for a small mobile robot with a camera that can move around the house and transmit video to a smartphone. Using Python and libraries such as OpenCV, robots can recognize objects, avoid obstacles, and even follow specific targets.
Cute and scary at the same time. I wonder how long it took?
Experiments and research: Raspberry Pi is actively used for scientific experiments and research. For example, in a project to monitor animals in nature, a Raspberry Pi is used to control cameras and motion sensors, which allows them to automatically record animal behavior and save the video for further analysis. In astronomy, it is also used to control telescopes and photograph the night sky.
Industrial Applications: In industry, Raspberry Pi is often used for basic automation and monitoring tasks. For example, it can be used to monitor production processes, read data from sensors and send this data to the server for further analysis. This approach is often found in small industries and startups due to its low cost and availability.
Game consoles and retro gaming: Many people use Raspberry Pi to create retro gaming consoles. The RetroPie platform allows you to run emulators of legacy gaming systems such as NES, Sega and PlayStation, turning the Raspberry Pi into an all-in-one gaming console for classic games.
The Raspberry Pi in the photo is in a white box, so you won’t understand it right away 🙂 If you want to play retro games, buy a Raspberry Pi. Almost like in my childhood, only the games are on a flash drive, not on a cassette. Projects for a smart city: In the context of urban solutions, Raspberry Pi is used to monitor environmental conditions such as air quality, noise levels or traffic conditions. This data can then be used to analyze and improve urban infrastructure.
I'm sure I haven't collected all the applications of the Raspberry Pi. I hope you will forgive me and add in the comments, thank you.
AI camera from Raspberry Pi and Sony
And yet the intrigue remained. What does SONY and the abundance of news about it in connection with Raspberry Pi and artificial intelligence have to do with it? On the one hand, everything is elementary, but on the other, I dug a little (just a little) deeper.
So. One of the hottest new products this year was the artificial intelligence camera module released by Raspberry Pi in collaboration with Sony. This new product is called Raspberry Pi AI Camera and is equipped with a Sony IMX500 sensor. The camera is a continuation of the Raspberry ideas – accessibility and performance, which makes it especially interesting for developers and enthusiasts. At least that's what everyone writes. And I thought to myself, I’m an enthusiast and developer, maybe I should indulge in it too?
The AI Camera module is equipped with a built-in processor that allows you to process images using neural networks directly on board. This means that for basic image processing tasks there is no need to boot up the main computer and all processing can be done directly on the camera. And here we remember the diagram above, where cloud services were present. All! No more clouds are needed, everything will work just the same.
The compact and inexpensive RP2040 microcontroller, which is also used in the AI Camera, helps reduce the cost of the device and makes it accessible to a wide range of users. Indeed, the camera is sold there for about $70 (about 7 thousand rubles for ours). At the same time, the Raspberry Pi itself can be bought for about 17 thousand rubles (Raspberry Pi 4 Model B). And it turns out that for 24 thousand rubles, if I’m not mistaken, you and I can play with artificial intelligence not in the clouds, not on a computer with a large GPU, but on a single-board computer, which can also be put on wheels. Very tempting (these are my thoughts out loud, not an advertisement).
Specifications
Sensor resolution: 12.3 megapixels
Maximum resolution: 4056 x 3040 pixels
Frame rate: 10 fps at full resolution, 30 fps at 2×2 binning
Compatibility: AI Camera is compatible with all Raspberry Pi models.
Software: The camera is fully integrated with the libcamera and Picamera2 libraries, which simplifies application development.
Preloaded Models: The camera comes preloaded with MobileNetSSD, allowing you to start experimenting with computer vision right away.
What else is interesting?
Raspberry Pi's collaboration with SONY did not begin yesterday, but in April 2023, when Sony Semiconductor Solutions (SSS) made a minority investment in Raspberry Pi Ltd. And it won't end tomorrow, because Raspberry Pi is committed to continuing production of the AI Camera until at least January 2028.
It is assumed that AI Camera could find applications in a variety of applications, such as smart cities, where it can detect empty parking spaces or monitor traffic, as well as in industrial systems, where basic automation of quality checks of objects under a camera is possible. This collaboration between Raspberry Pi and Sony opens new opportunities for developers in the field of computer vision and artificial intelligenceproviding a powerful and accessible tool for creating innovative projects.
Installation and configuration of the camera
I've learned that if you want to connect an AI Camera to your Raspberry Pi, it's quite easy. You need to insert the camera cable into the appropriate connector on the Raspberry Pi board and install the necessary drivers. Once installed, you can use demo applications to test neural networks and record videos, making the process as simple and fun as possible.
The software part is also quite advanced. For example, a demonstration using the command in the terminal raspi-hello allows you to instantly check the camera's operation, and the use of the Picamera2 Python module greatly simplifies writing your own applications and scripts.
Why are Raspberry Pis popular?
There are many reasons for the popularity of the Raspberry Pi. They are cheap, easy to use, and powerful enough to handle a variety of tasks. This is an ideal device for learning, creating your own projects and even for business use. Data from a recent report shows that 72% of devices are purchased for industrial purposes, which only confirms that the Raspberry Pi has become much more than just a toy for hobbyists.
Conclusion
I don't know about you, but I'm already looking for an application/project for the Raspberry Pi at home so I can play with artificial intelligence on it. I think the Raspberry Pi is an inspiring device, and the huge amount of news about this computer only reinforces this fact. With the advent of additions such as AI Camerathe possibilities for creating AI-based systems have become even more accessible. I may still be a Raspberry nerd, but that’s the beauty of it. Everything is ahead of me!
If you are interested, join me: Lanchev PRO AI.
And I am very grateful to my colleague, Ilya Kuznetsov, without whom I would not have appeared summix_bot with personalized filtering of news by technology and artificial intelligence – without it I would not have been interested in the Raspberry Pi.
See you again!
