Nov 11, 2025
Kneron Launches KNEO Pi: A High-Performance Development Platform Powered by Next-Gen AI and IoT
Kneron Launches KNEO Pi: A High-Performance Development Platform Powered by Next-Gen AI and IoT
In the wave of the interconnected world and the democratization of AI, edge computing has become a core battleground for technological innovation. Traditional development boards, limited by computing power, energy consumption, and closed ecosystems, often fall short in meeting the demands of real-time AI inference and industrial-grade deployment.
Kneron's KNEO Pi emerges as the solution—a development board that integrates a dedicated NPU, an open software ecosystem, and industrial-grade reliability, redefining the possibilities of edge AI hardware.
Whether you are a geeklooking to quickly validate an AI idea or an enterprise developer needing scalable deployment, KNEO Pi is your ideal partner.
I. Three Technical Innovations of KNEO Pi
1. Native AI Computing Power: Unleashing the "Brain" Potential of Edge Devices
KNEO Pi is equipped with Kneron's in house developed KDP series Neural Processing Unit (NPU), delivering up to 4 eTOPS of INT8 computing power. The Kneron NPU enables:
10x Improvement in Energy Efficiency:Running a YOLOv5 object detection model requires only 2W of power, with an inference speed of >30 FPS.
Multi-task Parallel Processing:Simultaneously supports analysis of 4 camera data streams (e.g., face recognition + vehicle detection + behavior analysis).
Low-Latency Response:Local processing eliminates cloud transmission, meeting the needs of real-time decision-making scenarios like security and medical applications.
2. Out-of-the-Box Developer Experience
KNEO Pi eliminates the pain points of hardware configuration and software adaptation:
40-pin Fully Compatible GPIO: Compatible with Raspberry Pi sensor and actuator extension modules.
KNEO Pi OS:A deeply optimized OS based on ArchLinux ARM, pre-installed with NPU drivers and media codec libraries, enabling a quick journey from power-on to model deployment.
II. Diverse Application Scenarios for KNEO Pi
KNEO Pi provides a solid hardware foundation for the scenario-based implementation of Generative AI and other AI algorithms. It is widely applicable in areas such as smart industrial control, intelligent drones, retail payment systems, smart education, commercial robots, action cameras, edge computing, and smart access control terminals, offering powerful and stable performance support for the intelligent upgrade of various industries.
1. Smart Security & Smart Cities
Security clients can use KNEO Pi to develop AI access control systems, efficiently integrating a complete system management GUI. With localized AI face recognition + liveness detection, direct camera connectionand low-light image enhancement, identity verification is completed within 0.3 seconds even in offline environments, effectively enhancing data privacy and security.
2. Industrial Inspection & Predictive Maintenance
Component manufacturers can deploy KNEO Pi in visual inspection systems to perform real-time analysis of production line defects (with 99.2% accuracy). It offers industrial-grade protection and supports one-click migration of TensorFlow models.
3. Educational Innovators & Developer Community
Compatible with Python/C++ development and providing open-source project templates, along with official Kneron AI support, universities and educational teams can build corresponding AI applications based on KNEO Pi, utilizing the NPU to run real-time semantic segmentation models, thereby advancing AI education.
4. Dual cam stitching application
Leveraging its powerful computing capability and integrated proprietary ISP hardware, KNEO Pi not only delivers efficient image processing speeds for smooth dual-camera performance in applications,but also ensures image quality in challenging environments.
For example, it can power a vision-based intelligent monitoring system project that performs body shape recognition on images within detectionarea, and triggers an alarm upon detection. It can also seamlessly stitch images from different angles for gap-free monitoring, effectively reducing costs compared to deploying multiple cameras at various angles.
5. Speech-to-Text / Text-to-Speech Applications
On KNEO Pi, some developers have already implemented speech-to-text and text-to-speech applications, undoubtedly enhancing user experience and work efficiency. By rapidly deploying on KNEO Pi, one can build a Q&A assistant, enabling more convenient human-device interaction.
6. Intelligent Flight Applications
Currently, KNEO Pi supports 4K resolution, 30 FPS video streams, and 4 TOPS parallel AI inference while maintaining extremely low power consumption. Its powerful computing capability ensures fast model inference, reduces processing time, and meets real-time detection requirements. Therefore, in intelligent flight and other drone applications, it processes camera footage in real-time, maintaining stable frame rates even when handling high-resolution images and videos, providing a smooth experience.
7. Open-Source NVR Software Supported for Deployment – Frigate
As an NVR powered by real-time AI object detection, Frigate delivers an open-source NVR solution. When integrated with KNEO Pi, it streamlines deployment, enabling faster video stream processing and AI detection. By leveraging KNEO Pi's NPU for AI inference, the system significantly enhances object detection speed.
With its excellent energy efficiency, KNEO Pi can process multiple video streams with low power consumption, making it suitable for long-term operation. All data is processed locally, providing small and micro users with a complete, integrated smart home security solution.
III. Open Ecosystem and Comprehensive Support
1. Rich Community and Ecosystem
KNEO Pi excels in educational projects, rapid prototyping, and broad commercial adoption thanks to its mature, beginner-friendly ecosystem. It not only provides more powerful hardware but also offers a more focused community, centralized documentation, complete drivers and toolchains for advanced tasks.The open hardware and software resourcesattract performance enthusiasts and make users' experience better.
Kneron has successfully collaborated with numerous global educational institutions, and KNEO Pi has gained popularity among many AI developers, enabling rapid implementation in model migration, system customization, and application development.
2. Extensive Software Package Support
Benefiting from its ArchLinux ARM structure, KNEO Pi OS leverages the rich Arch User Repository (AUR). Users can employ the Pacman package manager, known for its speed and simplicity, to install and update software. This ensures access to the latest software and security updates while allowing users to customize their environment based on specific project needs.
3. Proprietary Hardware Acceleration
KNEO Pi OS features built-in support for the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for efficient AI inference, alongside an integrated proprietary Hardware ISP (Image Signal Processor), enhancing video and audio stream processing capabilities for smooth playback and efficient media handling. The system provides a lightweight SDK for developing a wide range of AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) applications, helping your projects get to market quickly.
IV. Why Developers Choose KNEO Pi?
Open Ecosystem:Developers have the freedom to modify and commercialize their work.
Enterprise-Grade Support:The official technical team responds to critical issues within 48 hours, offering SDK customization and wholesale procurement services.
Cost Advantage:The unit price is lower than a "Raspberry Pi + external AI accelerator" combination, effectively shortening deployment cycles.
KNEO Pi is not just a development board; it is a comprehensive edge computing platform committed to "empowering every device with the ability to think."
Whether you are an innovatorlooking to quickly validate an AI idea or an enterprise developer needing scalable deployment, Kneron's KNEO Pi is your ideal partner.
Visit and experience Kneron KNEO Pi now:
https://kneron.github.io/kneopi-documentation/index.html
In the wave of the interconnected world and the democratization of AI, edge computing has become a core battleground for technological innovation. Traditional development boards, limited by computing power, energy consumption, and closed ecosystems, often fall short in meeting the demands of real-time AI inference and industrial-grade deployment.
Kneron's KNEO Pi emerges as the solution—a development board that integrates a dedicated NPU, an open software ecosystem, and industrial-grade reliability, redefining the possibilities of edge AI hardware.
Whether you are a geeklooking to quickly validate an AI idea or an enterprise developer needing scalable deployment, KNEO Pi is your ideal partner.
I. Three Technical Innovations of KNEO Pi
1. Native AI Computing Power: Unleashing the "Brain" Potential of Edge Devices
KNEO Pi is equipped with Kneron's in house developed KDP series Neural Processing Unit (NPU), delivering up to 4 eTOPS of INT8 computing power. The Kneron NPU enables:
10x Improvement in Energy Efficiency:Running a YOLOv5 object detection model requires only 2W of power, with an inference speed of >30 FPS.
Multi-task Parallel Processing:Simultaneously supports analysis of 4 camera data streams (e.g., face recognition + vehicle detection + behavior analysis).
Low-Latency Response:Local processing eliminates cloud transmission, meeting the needs of real-time decision-making scenarios like security and medical applications.
2. Out-of-the-Box Developer Experience
KNEO Pi eliminates the pain points of hardware configuration and software adaptation:
40-pin Fully Compatible GPIO: Compatible with Raspberry Pi sensor and actuator extension modules.
KNEO Pi OS:A deeply optimized OS based on ArchLinux ARM, pre-installed with NPU drivers and media codec libraries, enabling a quick journey from power-on to model deployment.
II. Diverse Application Scenarios for KNEO Pi
KNEO Pi provides a solid hardware foundation for the scenario-based implementation of Generative AI and other AI algorithms. It is widely applicable in areas such as smart industrial control, intelligent drones, retail payment systems, smart education, commercial robots, action cameras, edge computing, and smart access control terminals, offering powerful and stable performance support for the intelligent upgrade of various industries.
1. Smart Security & Smart Cities
Security clients can use KNEO Pi to develop AI access control systems, efficiently integrating a complete system management GUI. With localized AI face recognition + liveness detection, direct camera connectionand low-light image enhancement, identity verification is completed within 0.3 seconds even in offline environments, effectively enhancing data privacy and security.
2. Industrial Inspection & Predictive Maintenance
Component manufacturers can deploy KNEO Pi in visual inspection systems to perform real-time analysis of production line defects (with 99.2% accuracy). It offers industrial-grade protection and supports one-click migration of TensorFlow models.
3. Educational Innovators & Developer Community
Compatible with Python/C++ development and providing open-source project templates, along with official Kneron AI support, universities and educational teams can build corresponding AI applications based on KNEO Pi, utilizing the NPU to run real-time semantic segmentation models, thereby advancing AI education.
4. Dual cam stitching application
Leveraging its powerful computing capability and integrated proprietary ISP hardware, KNEO Pi not only delivers efficient image processing speeds for smooth dual-camera performance in applications,but also ensures image quality in challenging environments.
For example, it can power a vision-based intelligent monitoring system project that performs body shape recognition on images within detectionarea, and triggers an alarm upon detection. It can also seamlessly stitch images from different angles for gap-free monitoring, effectively reducing costs compared to deploying multiple cameras at various angles.
5. Speech-to-Text / Text-to-Speech Applications
On KNEO Pi, some developers have already implemented speech-to-text and text-to-speech applications, undoubtedly enhancing user experience and work efficiency. By rapidly deploying on KNEO Pi, one can build a Q&A assistant, enabling more convenient human-device interaction.
6. Intelligent Flight Applications
Currently, KNEO Pi supports 4K resolution, 30 FPS video streams, and 4 TOPS parallel AI inference while maintaining extremely low power consumption. Its powerful computing capability ensures fast model inference, reduces processing time, and meets real-time detection requirements. Therefore, in intelligent flight and other drone applications, it processes camera footage in real-time, maintaining stable frame rates even when handling high-resolution images and videos, providing a smooth experience.
7. Open-Source NVR Software Supported for Deployment – Frigate
As an NVR powered by real-time AI object detection, Frigate delivers an open-source NVR solution. When integrated with KNEO Pi, it streamlines deployment, enabling faster video stream processing and AI detection. By leveraging KNEO Pi's NPU for AI inference, the system significantly enhances object detection speed.
With its excellent energy efficiency, KNEO Pi can process multiple video streams with low power consumption, making it suitable for long-term operation. All data is processed locally, providing small and micro users with a complete, integrated smart home security solution.
III. Open Ecosystem and Comprehensive Support
1. Rich Community and Ecosystem
KNEO Pi excels in educational projects, rapid prototyping, and broad commercial adoption thanks to its mature, beginner-friendly ecosystem. It not only provides more powerful hardware but also offers a more focused community, centralized documentation, complete drivers and toolchains for advanced tasks.The open hardware and software resourcesattract performance enthusiasts and make users' experience better.
Kneron has successfully collaborated with numerous global educational institutions, and KNEO Pi has gained popularity among many AI developers, enabling rapid implementation in model migration, system customization, and application development.
2. Extensive Software Package Support
Benefiting from its ArchLinux ARM structure, KNEO Pi OS leverages the rich Arch User Repository (AUR). Users can employ the Pacman package manager, known for its speed and simplicity, to install and update software. This ensures access to the latest software and security updates while allowing users to customize their environment based on specific project needs.
3. Proprietary Hardware Acceleration
KNEO Pi OS features built-in support for the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for efficient AI inference, alongside an integrated proprietary Hardware ISP (Image Signal Processor), enhancing video and audio stream processing capabilities for smooth playback and efficient media handling. The system provides a lightweight SDK for developing a wide range of AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) applications, helping your projects get to market quickly.
IV. Why Developers Choose KNEO Pi?
Open Ecosystem:Developers have the freedom to modify and commercialize their work.
Enterprise-Grade Support:The official technical team responds to critical issues within 48 hours, offering SDK customization and wholesale procurement services.
Cost Advantage:The unit price is lower than a "Raspberry Pi + external AI accelerator" combination, effectively shortening deployment cycles.
KNEO Pi is not just a development board; it is a comprehensive edge computing platform committed to "empowering every device with the ability to think."
Whether you are an innovatorlooking to quickly validate an AI idea or an enterprise developer needing scalable deployment, Kneron's KNEO Pi is your ideal partner.
Visit and experience Kneron KNEO Pi now:
https://kneron.github.io/kneopi-documentation/index.html
