The new Raspberry Pi zero is here - and it's snappy!

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Spot the difference!
The new Raspberry Pi zero is out and it has a camera connector.

The picture on the right compares the new zero with its predecessor. They are very, very similar but the clever folks at Pi towers have re-routed the board to make room for a camera connector while keeping the size of the board unchanged.

I've had a chance to play with the new Pi for a few days now and I love it. You can read my plans below but the main thing is that the new feature has been added without sacrificing the zero's already awesome capabilities.

As you'd expect, existing software runs just as it did before.

The new zero is currently in stock at several dealers in the UK and the USA. Details are on the Raspberry Pi website. Dealer info is at the bottom of their post.

A camera has been one of the most-requested features for the zero. It opens up a huge range of new, exciting projects. There will be a huge demand for the new zero. Let's hope the stocks hold out for a while!

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The new Pi zero as a mobile eye

If you want to give your mobile robot vision the new zero is a great solution. I can see it being used in wheeled robots, submarines and drones. Drones will need some fail-safe method of operator control for legal reasons but wheeled robots and subs can be completely independent if their software is smart enough.

Computer vision and neural networks

The zero has enough memory and processing power to run openCV. I'm working on experiments to add visual input my neural network software. I'll post about the project as it progresses.

If you're interested in neural networks I'm writing a tutorial series for beginners. Start here.

Stay informed

If you want more news about the Pi and the project, follow the blog on twitter.


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