Seeed Studio ReComputer Industrial AI Devices for Engineers
Explore Seeed Studio ReComputer: Industrial AI Devices for Enhanced Efficiency and Automation
24 Nov, 2023. 8 min read
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a transformative force across all sectors of the economy, and industrial engineering is no exception. This technological frontier reshapes how industries approach efficiency, maintenance, and automation. In response, Seeed Studio has recently launched its ReComputer Industrial series of artificial intelligence (AI) devices. Revealed on September 29th, these devices represent a significant advancement in industrial AI capabilities.1
Incorporating NVIDIA® Jetson Xavier NX, Orin Nano, and Orin NX modules and leveraging the NVIDIA Ampere™ GPU architecture offer AI computational performance from 20 TOPS to 100 TOPS. As of May 16, 2023, Seeed Studio continues to enhance these devices, emphasizing its commitment to evolving AI solutions.
Integrating AI into industrial operations marks a shift towards enhanced efficiency, precision, and automation. ReComputer Industrial series devices combine robust performance with industrial adaptability. They come equipped with the Jetpack 5.1 SDK, featuring NVIDIA technologies and CUDA-X accelerated libraries, ready for complex AI tasks, including video analytics and natural language processing. Their fanless construction guarantees consistent performance even in extreme conditions, reducing the likelihood of component failure due to dust and other environmental factors.
Engineers aiming to incorporate AI into industrial systems will find that the ReComputer Industrial series AI devices fulfill stringent technical specifications and comply with industry certifications such as FCC, CE, RoHS, and UKCA. This compliance is essential for applications across various sectors, including smart cities, security, industrial automation, smart factories, and medical imaging.
Technical Specifications
The Seeed Studio ReComputer Industrial series AI devices are equipped with an NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX, Orin Nano, or Orin NX module, which is at the core of the module's functionality. These modules are part of the NVIDIA Ampere GPU architecture, offering AI performance that ranges from 20 TOPS to 100 TOPS. The devices' hardware is designed to operate reliably in a temperature range from -20°C to 60°C, suitable for challenging industrial environments.
On the software front, the ReComputer devices come with the Jetpack 5.1 SDK pre-installed. This software development kit includes NVIDIA technologies, and CUDA-X accelerated libraries, ensuring compatibility with various AI applications. The devices support various industry-standard interfaces, including RJ-45 GbE, RS-232/RS-422/RS-485, USB 3.2, DI/DO, CAN, and TPM2.0 (module optional), providing versatile connectivity options for different industrial needs.
The ReComputer's fanless design is a testament to its robust construction and ability to reduce maintenance needs and extend the device's operational lifespan by minimizing the risk of dust and contaminant ingress.
For further details and specifications, visit the datasheets provided by Seeed Studio and Mouser Electronics.
Importance of Technology
AI in modern industrial applications enhances efficiency, precision, and innovation. AI's role is to interpret vast data streams, optimize operations, and facilitate predictive maintenance, thereby reducing downtime and extending the life of industrial equipment.
ReComputer devices, such as the ReComputer J1020 v2, embody this integration by providing a compact, powerful edge AI solution that brings AI's capabilities directly to the industrial forefront.
Dedicated AI devices built with modules like the NVIDIA Jetson Nano are tailored to fit seamlessly into the larger AI ecosystem. They offer a robust platform for developing and deploying AI applications, with features such as CUDA cores for processing and pre-installed JetPack systems for ease of use. The ReComputer series, with its rich set of IOs and extensive support for AI frameworks, stands as a testament to the harmonious synergy between hardware and AI software, enabling a new wave of intelligent industrial solutions.
In industrial settings, the benefits of using dedicated AI devices are manifold. They provide a localized, high-performance computing solution that can process and analyze data at the source, significantly reducing latency compared to cloud-based systems. This edge processing capability is crucial for time-sensitive applications where rapid decision-making is paramount. Moreover, these devices are designed with industrial-grade components, ensuring reliability and durability in harsh environments, essential for continuous operations in sectors such as manufacturing and logistics.
The ReComputer devices, with their scalable and flexible architecture, empower industries to deploy complex AI models and machine learning frameworks directly on the factory floor, leading to improved quality control, safety, and productivity. By leveraging the computational power of AI at the edge, industries can unlock new potentials and drive innovation, ensuring they remain competitive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
Key Features
The Seeed Studio ReComputer Industrial series AI devices are engineered to deliver robust AI performance with onboard processing capabilities vital for modern industrial applications. These devices leverage the NVIDIA Ampere GPU architecture and 64-bit operating capabilities, offering AI performance from 20 TOPS to 100 TOPS depending on the module selected. This performance is critical for applications requiring real-time processing, such as in smart cities, security, and industrial automation.
Connectivity features a range of interfaces, including RJ-45 GbE, RS-232/RS-422/RS-485, DI/DO, CAN, USB 3.2, and TPM2.0 (optional module). Such connectivity options ensure seamless integration into existing industrial networks and facilitate communication with various peripherals and sensors.
Scalability and modularity are also key features of the ReComputer series. With different NVIDIA Jetson modules, such as the Orin NX and Xavier NX, developers can select the appropriate computing power needed for their specific applications. This modularity allows for tailored solutions that scale with the evolving demands of industrial AI tasks.
Energy efficiency and power consumption are critical considerations in industrial settings. The ReComputer devices are designed with a passive heatsink for efficient cooling without a fan, conserving energy and reducing the risk of component failure due to dust or other environmental contaminants. The devices operate within a power envelope conducive to continuous operation in a wide range of industrial environments, from -20°C to 60°C.
Applications and Use Cases
The Seeed Studio ReComputer Industrial AI Devices are designed to cater to a wide range of applications, leveraging their AI capabilities to enhance efficiency and innovation in various sectors. Here are some key use cases:
Video Analytics
The ReComputer devices can perform object recognition, tracking, and classification, making them suitable for security systems, traffic monitoring, and smart city applications. These capabilities are essential for modern surveillance and monitoring systems, where real-time data processing and analysis are crucial.
Natural Language Processing
With their advanced AI performance, these devices can handle speech recognition or language translation tasks. This application is particularly relevant in customer service automation, multilingual communication systems, and interactive voice response (IVR) systems.
Medical Imaging
The ReComputer Industrial AI Devices can analyze medical images, assisting in diagnosis or treatment planning. This application is crucial in healthcare, where accurate and fast analysis of medical imagery can significantly impact patient care and outcomes.
Traffic Management
In the realm of smart city applications, these devices can be used for license plate detection, car detection, and pedestrian detection. This technology is vital for enhancing traffic flow, ensuring road safety, and managing city infrastructures more effectively.
Industry 4.0 Applications
Within industrial settings, applications like helmet detection, hard hat detection, and custom personal protective equipment (PPE) detection are possible. Additionally, visual anomaly detection using technologies like NVIDIA Deepstream IoT can be employed for quality control and monitoring.
Retail Sector
The devices can be used for sentiment analysis and detection of retail store items. These applications can enhance customer experience, inventory management, and in-store analytics.
Robotics
In robotics, the ReComputer series applies to tasks requiring sophisticated machine vision and AI processing, such as object detection and advanced navigation systems.
Industry Automation and Smart Factories
The devices are ideal for industrial automation, enabling digital transformation across smart factories. They support applications like object detection, which is key in process control and quality inspection.
Integration with Other Systems
The Seeed Studio ReComputer Industrial series is designed to be highly compatible with a range of industrial protocols and standards, making it a versatile choice for integration into various systems. The hardware features industry interfaces such as RJ-45 GbE, RS-232/RS-422/RS-485, DI/DO, CAN, USB3.2, and TPM2.0 (module optional), facilitating connectivity with a wide array of sensors, actuators, and other peripherals. This ensures that the ReComputer can serve as the intelligent core for many industrial applications, from smart cities and security to industrial automation and smart factories.
The ReComputer series is also equipped with software compatibility, including pre-installed Jetpack 5.1 SDK, which encompasses CUDA-X accelerated libraries and other NVIDIA technologies. This software suite provides a comprehensive development environment and supports AI platforms that are continually updated, ensuring that the ReComputer remains at the forefront of technological advancements. Including NVIDIA DeepStream SDK, NVIDIA TAO Toolkit, and NVIDIA Riva Speech AI applications allows for AI-based multi-sensor processing, model training acceleration, and speech recognition, which are essential for modern AI tasks.
Moreover, the ReComputer Industrial series' potential for cloud integration is significant, with its support for intelligent video analytics, computer vision, sound AI, fleet management, and cloud-native deployment. This makes it an ideal platform for edge computing applications where real-time data processing and analytics are critical.
The Seeed Studio ReComputer Industrial series stands out for its robust compatibility with industrial protocols, ability to interface seamlessly with a range of peripherals, and capacity for integration with cloud platforms and services, making it a powerful and flexible solution for industrial AI applications.
Safety and Reliability
Seeed Studio ReComputer Industrial series AI devices are designed with safety and reliability at the forefront, ensuring they are well-suited for the demanding conditions of industrial environments. The devices feature a fanless design with a passive heatsink, which contributes to their durability by reducing the risk of failure due to moving parts and allowing them to operate effectively in a temperature range from -20°C to 60°C. This design also mitigates the ingress of dust and other contaminants, enhancing the longevity of the devices.
The ReComputer Industrial series AI Devices are built to withstand vibrations up to 3Grms from 5Hz to 500Hz, random, for 1 hour per axis. This makes them robust enough to handle the mechanical stresses in industrial settings.
Certification and compliance are also key aspects of the ReComputer series. The devices comply with industry standards, including FCC, CE, RoHS, and UKCA certifications. These certifications indicate the devices' adherence to quality and safety standards, essential for industrial applications.
The Seeed Studio ReComputer Industrial AI Devices provide a reliable and secure solution for industrial AI applications by integrating these built-in safety features, ensuring durability, and maintaining compliance with industry standards.
Development and Customization
The Seeed Studio reComputer Jetson series equips developers with a powerful AI development platform featuring Ubuntu 18.04 LTS and NVIDIA JetPack 4.6 pre-installed on a 16 GB eMMC. Depending on the specific model, developers can swiftly initiate projects by connecting standard peripherals and powering the device through its Type-C or DC interface.
Upon first boot, developers configure the system by setting the language, keyboard layout, network connection, and user credentials. The reComputer J1010 and J1020 models support various power modes, with the MAXN mode recommended for maximum performance.
When a system reinstall is necessary, Seeed Studio's comprehensive wikis facilitate the process on A20X carrier boards and the reComputer J1010 Carrier Board. These guides offer step-by-step instructions for using NVIDIA SDK Manager or command lines, catering to diverse project needs.
Developers facing limited eMMC space have several options to optimize storage: system redeployment to external devices, JetPack component removal, or capacity expansion through external storage, allowing for tailored storage solutions.
Seeed Studio provides multiple channels for technical support and community discussion, ensuring developers receive the help they need for a seamless product experience.
Designed with a focus on developer needs, the reComputer Jetson series delivers essential tools and resources for effective AI development, offers customization to meet unique industrial demands, and fosters a collaborative development community.
Conclusion
The ReComputer Industrial series devices by Seeed Studio mark a significant milestone in the industrial AI landscape, offering engineers a robust platform for innovation and application development. These devices provide the necessary computational power, connectivity, and reliability to meet the demands of modern industrial environments. Engineers are encouraged to delve into the capabilities of the ReComputer series, leveraging its versatility and power to drive advancements in industrial automation and AI. With comprehensive support and resources available, the ReComputer devices stand ready to underpin the next wave of industrial AI solutions.
References
1. The role of AI in Industry 4.0, Forbes
4. Seeed Studio reComputer Industrial datasheet.
7. Edge Impulse Documentation. (n.d.). Object detection Ubidots Seeed Grove AI
8. Seeed Studio Wiki. reComputer for Jetson Initiation
9. Seeed Studio Blog. Custom Design Your Own reComputer Powered by NVIDIA Jetson