We will use the Google AIY Vision Kit to show a real world example of how to setup AI and discuss competing frameworks (CNTK, Tensorflow, Pytorch, etc.) The objective of this session will be to help attendees understand the field of AI, tools of the trade and how to get started as a developer. Please feel free to bring your own Google AIY Vision kit but this is not a requirement since most of the material will be showcasing the technology and not a hands-on lab.

From the success of the Google/Raspberry Pi AIY Voice Kit, sent to MagPi subscribers earlier this year, then made available for purchase at the end of the summer, the two companies have teamed up again to launch the next in the series of cardboard-bound AI kits and make advanced technology even more accessible. The new AIY Vision Kit is a smart, hackable camera system that runs on the Raspberry Pi Zero W. It includes a custom bonnet featuring the Intel Movidius chip, designed for low-power neural network applications, processing images at 30 FPS for "near real-time performance" to recognize objects, detect facial expressions, and more according to the announcement post. Also included are the necessary electronics and housing to fully complete the kit -- lens, pushbutton, speaker, and components. You'll still need to supply the RPi Zero W, Raspberry Pi camera module, and an SD card. The kit can be preordered for $44.99 at Microcenter, and will be available in December.

If you've been wanting to dig into artificial intelligence on a personal level, then you have probably been considering one of Google's AIY kits. These allow STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) audiences to engage in simple projects with a relatively low investment. Now, Google has made things even easier by creating bundles that include the requisite Raspberry Pi single-board computers. The AIY products have two versions aimed at two A.I. applications. There is the AIY Vision Kit that allows experimenting with image recognition and neural networks and the AIY Voice Kit that combines voice recognition and the Google Assistant.

How can I get one of these in Canada? I might 3d print an enclosure for this, cardboard is so 2010...;) It's almost 2018, you got to be shipping worldwide! Will this be stocked by any other distributors that can ship worldwide? Why pick a sole distributor that is incapable of shipping outside of the United States? Ninety-five percent of the world is NOT American!

Google is launching a new hardware and software kit aimed at developers and hackers who want to build products that incorporate computer vision… on a budget. It's called the AIY Vision Kit, and it's up for pre-order from Micro Center for $45, with an expected ship date of December 31st. You'll need to spend a few more bucks to actually use the kit though: it's designed to work with a Raspberry Pi Zero W mini computer ($10) and a Raspberry Pi Camera V2 ($30). And you'll need to supply your own SD card. The total cost is still under $100 though, which is pretty impressive for a set of tools that you can use to develop projects that use what Google calls an "intelligent camera."

Back in May, Google announced AIY Projects -- do-it-yourself hardware kits for experimenting with artificial intelligence. Today, Google followed up the first Voice Kit with a new Vision Kit for image recognition and TensorFlow development. These AIY Kits are crude speakers -- and now cameras -- housed in simple cardboard boxes. Builders also need to supply their own Raspberry Pi Zero W and a Raspberry Pi Camera 2 for this latest project. Otherwise, the kit includes everything needed from lenses, wires, and a VisionBonnet board with an Intel Movidius MA2450 that connects to the Raspberry Pi.

Google created its AIY Projects initiative -- "artificial intelligence yourself" -- to encourage developers and DIY enthusiasts to learn about artificial intelligence. The first project in the series, the ready-to-assemble Raspberry Pi-based AIY Voice Kit, was based on a project from MagPi magazine. Now Google has a second project ready for release this year: the AIY Vision Kit. The camera kit comes with a cardboard shell, an AI-capable circuit board, a light-up arcade button, a tiny speaker, a lens kit with both macro and wide settings and various connection components, including a tripod mounting nut. You'll need to supply your own Raspberry Pi Zero W, Raspberry Pi Camera, an SD card and a power supply.