Comply with ZDNET: Add us as a most popular supply on Google.
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The upgraded AI HAT+ 2 boosts efficiency to 40 TOPS.
- The board comes with 8GB of onboard RAM.
- The ban may have a big impression on companies and jobs.
In the event you’re into Raspberry Pi computer systems and AI, then likelihood is that you simply’re already utilizing the AI HAT+ that was launched again in 2024. This was a game-changer when it comes to offloading AI workloads onto the Pi 5. The thought is that it is a low-cost, data-private method to course of edge AI workloads with no need to make use of third-party cloud-based AI providers.
Properly, right this moment sees that board get a big improve with the discharge of the AI HAT+ 2.
Additionally: One of the best Raspberry Pi alternate options of 2026: Knowledgeable really useful
Two variations
The AI HAT+ got here in two variations — a typical 13 TOPS (tera-operations per second) model powered by a Hailo-8L AI accelerator chip, and a 26 TOPS model powered by the Hailo-8 AI accelerator. The brand new AI HAT+ 2 boosts this efficiency to 40 TOPS because of using the Hailo-10H chip backed up by 8GB of onboard RAM.
This efficiency increase permits the AI HAT+ 2 to deal with giant language fashions (LLMs), vision-language fashions (VLMs), and different generative AI workloads regionally, impartial from the Raspberry Pi 5 board. It might additionally deal with vision-based AI workloads resembling object recognition and pose estimation at about the identical 26 TOPS efficiency as that of the Hailo-8-powered AI HAT+.
The Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ 2 comes with 8GB of onboard RAM and runs AI workloads regionally.
Raspberry Pi Basis
Those that have already constructed initiatives across the AI HAT+ and wish to make the most of the efficiency increase that the AI HAT+ 2 has to supply, concern not, as a result of in accordance with Naush Patuck, Senior Principal Engineer at Raspberry Pi, “transitioning to the AI HAT+ 2 is generally seamless and clear.”
Additionally: A wi-fi coronary heart charge monitor powered by Raspberry Pi and Wi-Fi – the way it works
And for these needing inspiration or data on find out how to make use of all this AI energy, Hailo’s GitHub repo has every little thing it is advisable to get began with generative AI. There are additionally a number of LLMs out there to put in at launch, together with Llama3.2, DeepSeek-R1-Distill, and Qwen2, with extra out there after launch.
Availability
This board works with all Raspberry Pi 5 boards (from 1GB all the best way to 16GB), connects by way of the onboard PCI Categorical interface, and integrates straight with Raspberry Pi’s digicam software program stack, avoiding extra configuration problem.
Additionally: This Raspberry Pi various let me construct an AirTag-like tracker – this is the method
The AI HAT+ 2 board is shipped with an non-compulsory heatsink, however primarily based in your expertise of the earlier AI HAT+, I might advocate becoming this, particularly if working demanding duties or benchmarking, as a result of the processor can get fairly sizzling below heavy loading.
The board is obtainable instantly for $130, though on the time of writing ZDNET solely discovered inventory at PiShop (this outlet additionally sells a whole AI HAT+ 2 starter equipment).
