Exciting AI Enhancements for Raspberry Pi 5 with New Attachments

Introducing the newly-improved Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ 2.

Significant Improvements in the AI HAT+ 2

Technology enthusiasts using Raspberry Pi for AI applications might recall the 2024 launch of the groundbreaking AI HAT+. This add-on transformed processing by offering an affordable, private method for managing AI tasks at the edge without relying on external cloud services.

The AI HAT+ 2 now ushers in a significant enhancement to its predecessor’s capabilities.

Enhanced Models

Originally, the AI HAT+ was available in two options: a 13 TOPS model featuring the Hailo-8L chip, and a more robust 26 TOPS version using the Hailo-8 accelerator. The newly-released AI HAT+ 2 elevates performance to 40 TOPS by utilizing the Hailo-10H processor and 8GB of RAM.

This surge in power enables intricate tasks like large language and vision-language models to be processed directly on-device, independently of the Raspberry Pi 5. It continues to manage vision-centric AI demands such as object identification and pose determination with similar efficiency to the earlier Hailo-8 equipped version.

Equipped with 8GB of memory, the Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ 2 facilitates local execution of AI applications.

Current users of AI HAT+ who seek to exploit the advancements of AI HAT+ 2 can transfer to the new version easily, as mentioned by , Senior Principal Engineer at Raspberry Pi, who assures that upgrading is seamless.

New Possibilities with Generative AI

Additionally, for those wanting to harness this upgrade in AI capability, Hailo offers comprehensive resources to effectively embark on generative AI projects. An assortment of large language models is ready for installation at launch, broadening the scope of potential applications.

Product Availability

Compatible with all versions of Raspberry Pi 5, this hardware connects via the built-in PCI Express slot and seamlessly integrates with the device's camera support infrastructure, minimizing configuration complexities.

Although the AI HAT+ 2 is supplied with an optional heatsink, based on prior usage experiences, it’s advisable to install this component especially for demanding functions to manage heat efficiently, given that the processor's temperature can spike under intensive workloads.

Currently priced at $130, the AI HAT+ 2 is immediately accessible, though availability may vary based on stock levels at different suppliers.