Pixy2 CV Sensor Is Smaller, Faster, and More Capable Than the Original

Computer vision has been around in some form or another since at least the early ‘80s, but has normally been complicated and expensive…

Jeremy Cook
6 years ago

Computer vision has been around in some form or another since at least the early ‘80s, but has normally been complicated and expensive enough to keep it in the purview of scientists and engineers. The Pixy, however, announced in 2013 as a Kickstarter campaign, helped change all that as a computer vision package meant for makers that can learn and detect objects via the press of a button.

Today, Pixy creator Charmed Labs announced the Pixy2, which according to the video below, is “smaller, faster, and smarter” than the original, and has the same capabilities as the original Pixy, plus a few new tricks. These latest features include a lighting system and a built-in algorithm that allows it to do line tracking automatically — ideal for roving robots. Pixy2, like the original, can utilize a custom pan/tilt mechanism, enabling your mobile or stationary robot to track objects independently of any body movement.

Vision processing is handled onboard then passed to your control system of choice. It includes a cable made to plug into your Arduino directly, and connects to Raspberry Pi boards through USB.

Pixy2 can also communicate via SPI, I2C, UART, and USB, so it can be used with a wide variety of other SBCs and dev platforms like the BeagleBone Black. Finally, the design is open source, so if you need to hack or mod the design to better suit your needs, that’s entirely possible!

Jeremy Cook
Engineer, maker of random contraptions, love learning about tech. Write for various publications, including Hackster!
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