Raspberry Pi Unveils AI-Ready HAT+ Boards and NVMe SSDs for Enhanced Edge Computing

Raspberry Pi Expands Product Line with New AI and Storage Solutions

Raspberry Pi, renowned for its affordable and versatile single-board computers, has announced a significant expansion of its product line, focusing on enhancing the capabilities of the Raspberry Pi 5.

The Raspberry Pi 5, featuring a PCIe 3.0 interface with a 16-pin connector, now supports M.2 HAT+ extension cards, converting the connector to an M.2 interface. This development allows users to utilize the M.2 slot for NVMe SSDs and other add-ons, significantly expanding the device’s functionality.

Building on the success of its AI Kit launched in June, which included a neural network inference accelerator from Hailo, Raspberry Pi has unveiled a new HAT+ add-on board with a built-in Hailo inference accelerator. Available in 13 and 26 tera-operations per second (TOPS) variants, priced at $70 and $110 respectively, this board offers enhanced AI capabilities without the need for an M.2 interface.

In a move to support storage expansion, Raspberry Pi has introduced its own branded M.2 NVMe SSDs. Compatible with 2230 and 2242 form factor drives, these SSDs are priced competitively at $30 for 256GB and $45 for 512GB. The company has also launched SSD Kit bundles, which include an M.2 HAT+ and an SSD, priced at $40 for the 256GB Kit and $55 for the 512GB Kit.

These new offerings underscore Raspberry Pi’s commitment to providing cost-effective, high-performance solutions for hobbyists, developers, and educational institutions. The expansion into AI acceleration and storage solutions marks a significant step in the evolution of the Raspberry Pi ecosystem, potentially opening up new applications in fields such as edge computing and machine learning.