With a tremendously successful Kickstarter campaign, OpenCV.org has launched its affordable smart camera capable of running modern neural networks while performing depth perception in real time.
The Kickstarter campaign, which was funded in just 20 minutes, now has more than 2700 backers. In just 10 days it has raised more than $500K in funding making it one of the most successful crowdfunded smart cameras. The campaign ends on August 13, 2020.
The smart camera, named OpenCV AI Kit (OAK), comes in two configurations:
- OAK-1 consists of a single RGB camera and has the powerful Intel® Myriad X™ VPU at its core. With a compute capability of 4 Trillion Operations Per Second (TOPS), this device can run modern neural networks on every video frame in real time performing tasks like image classification, object detection, image segmentation, and pose estimation.
- OAK-D consists of a pair of stereo cameras for depth perception in addition to all the capabilities of OAK-1. The version promised during the Kickstarter campaign will also contain a built-in IMU (orientation sensor), making OAK-D a one-of-a-kind solution for Spatial AI at a jaw dropping price.
The Chief Architect of AOK, Brandon Gilles, said, “By adding depth perception to standard AI, we have added a new dimension to the solution space. We are motivated by AI used for social good. Our early prototypes have been used for creating assistive technology for the blind, helping bicyclists avoid reckless drivers, and solving many other problems for social good.”
OpenCV.org is committed to democratizing AI education and OAK is a step in that direction. The smart camera will come with an easy to use API, and every Kickstarter backer will receive free access to a course that will walk them through the process of creating and deploying an AI model on the device.
The CEO of OpenCV.org, Dr. Satya Mallick, said, “Smart machines of the future will require a combination of visual intelligence and depth perception to interact with the 3D world just like humans do. With OAK-D, we have packaged these two features in one simple and affordable hardware system that students, researchers, programmers, and engineers can use to build powerful Spatial AI solutions.”
For more information, please see the OpenCV AOK Kickstarter campaign page.
