Arducam's Pivistation 5 Pairs Hawkeye, Darksee, or Klarity Image Sensors with the Raspberry Pi 5
Available in high-resolution autofocus, high-clarity, and low-light flavors, the new Pivistation 5 kits deliver easy edge AI capabilities.
Computer vision specialist Arducam has launched a crowdfunding campaign for its latest kit, designed to pair the company's Sony sensor-based camera modules with a Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer to speed prototyping and experimentation in embedded vision and on-device artificial intelligence: the Pivistation 5 family.
"When carrying out a Raspberry Pi-based embedded vision project, at least three factors need to be determined: suitable sensors, suitable lenses, and suitable software," Arducam's Li Jiang explains. "To make it, PoC [Proof of Concept] is a must. However, without the necessary expertise and experience, the PoC process can be lengthy, ineffective, or even fail. So, wanna make it quicker?
"As an embedded vision device based on the powerful Raspberry Pi 5, [Pivistation 5] can significantly improve your PoC efficiency and help reduce the PoC time from weeks or even months to days or even hours."
The heart of the Pivistation 5 is, naturally, the Raspberry Pi 5, the latest and most powerful in the popular family of single-board computers, with 4GB of RAM. It's housed in an official Raspberry Pi case, using the usual three-layer design — but modified by Arducam to support a range of imaging sensors and lens mounts depending on model chosen.
There are three core Pivistation 5 models: the Pivistation 5 Hawkeye is based around a 64-megapixel Sony 1/1.7" sensor with both phase- and contrast-detection autofocus modes; the Pivistation 5 Darksee is lower resolution at eight megapixels, but uses Sony's Starvis 2 technology in an IMX678 to deliver improved performance in extreme low-light conditions; and the Pivistation 5 Klarity uses a large one-inch Sony IMX283 sensor with back-side illumination for high-quality 20-megapixel images. All models are rolling shutter, with all but the Hawkeye using manual focus.
The Pivistation 5 Hawkeye comes with a lens already fitted, and no option for switching it out for something else; the Darksee and Klarity come with M16 and C mounts respectively — and if the bundled lens proves unsatisfactory, Arducam offers adapter rings to accept Nikon or Canon mount lenses.
The camera bundles are now live on Arducam's Kickstarter campaign page, with pricing started at $139 for the Pivistation 5 Hawkeye — a claimed 30 percent discount on a planned $199 retail price. All hardware is expected to ship in August this year, the company says.