This is a Raspberry Pi AI camera, a standard-sized camera module with a unique feature: an AI chip. This chip allows all the number crunching and processing to occur on the camera itself, rather than on your Raspberry Pi. This setup frees up the Raspberry Pi and makes it straightforward to incorporate computer vision into your projects. Here's a quick guide to get you started with it in about three minutes. First, let's plug it in. Inside the box, you'll find the camera, two cables, and a manual focus tool, which we'll use shortly. For the Pi 5, select the cable with the smaller connector on one end. Lift the connector tab, insert the cable squarely, and push the tab down firmly. Repeat this process with the other end on the Pi, ensuring you connect it to camera port one, as shown in the instructions. Make sure to plug it in with the correct orientation, as it only functions one way.
If you haven't already, install Pi-OS onto a microSD card using the Raspberry Pi imager and complete the initial setup. Once you're on the desktop, open the terminal and update the Pi with the update and upgrade commands. If you wish to copy and paste the commands used in this guide, you'll find them in the link provided below. Next, install the required AI camera software. You might need to confirm this installation by hitting Y and Enter. After the installation is complete, reboot the Pi. Open the terminal again, and you're ready to run your first computer vision demo. Enter the first demo command, and after a few seconds, the model will upload to the camera. You should see a preview window identifying objects, such as recognizing a person. Note that it cannot detect every object in the world due to limited training data, but you can experiment by holding various items up to the camera to see if they can be detected.
Proceed to run the second demo command, which performs pose estimation. This feature attempts to map the key points of your body and draw lines to determine your body's pose. If your camera is slightly out of focus, use the manual focusing tool. Carefully insert it into the camera and turn it to adjust the focus manually. That's how you can get computer vision running on your Raspberry Pi in just a few minutes. If you're interested in exploring further and applying this technology to your projects, check out the link below for additional resources. Until next time, happy making!
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