How edge computing is changing the field of computer vision
The growth of AI using high-resolution cameras are transforming almost every industry. Powered by NVIDIA® Jetson™, the ZED Box can run modern neural networks and process 3D sensor data in real-time, allowing for a complete, powerful and self-managed Edge Computing AI system.
Stereolabs mission is to make Computer Vision easy. Today, with the latest ZED Box, Stereolabs goes one step further and offers a complete perception system to capture, stream and process images coming from any ZED camera.
Stereolabs introduces the new ZED Box with PoE+ support, and Edge Computing solution based on the powerful NVIDIA Jetson modules. Two options are available today: NVIDIA TX2 NX or NVIDIA Xavier NX for more performance.
For years, developers and engineers at Stereolabs have been using NVIDIA Jetson platforms to run the ZED SDK and deploy computer vision and AI applications on the field. The compact form factor and the high compute power offered by the Jetson platforms have unlocked many use cases but most importantly large-scale deployments of 3D AI solutions at affordable costs.
Thanks to this experience, the Stereolabs team designed a custom carrier board and external enclosure that meet many of the requirements for successful product development and at-scale deployment.
Here is a list of the main features of the ZED Box:
Multiple power supply options
The ZED Box can either be powered over Ethernet or by an external 12V/5A power supply.
In development environments, using the external power supply makes more sense and is more convenient.
In deployment phases, powering the ZED Box over Ethernet makes more sense as a single Ethernet cable can stream the data and power the ZED Box. It is a powerful advantage and sometimes a requirement when deploying fleets of gateways as it enables faster and more efficient set-ups. Users can deploy ZED cameras anywhere reachable by Ethernet cabling, enabling long-range and outdoor coverage.
Host on 256Gb SSD
As the Linux4Tegra OS is pre-installed on the 256GB internal SSD, the user will have more than enough storage for applications and data.
One of the major drawbacks of the “production” level Jetson modules like the Nano/TX2/NX, is the low storage space constraints on the eMMC. For example, out of the 16GB of storage capacity available, almost 8GB to 9GB is taken up by the Operating System.
With further applications and essential development libraries (CUDA, OpenCV, Docker, etc), which are required to be installed on the board, there is often less than 4GB of space left for applications or projects.
Since the objective at Stereolabs is to let developers focus on code and not be limited by any space constraints in the “dev” mode difficult, we offer enough space thanks to the embedded SSD.
Having the OS directly installed on the 256GB SSD allows users to have a system that mimics a standard PC / Laptop in terms of storage, but in a more compact form factor (109 x 92 x 52 mm).
Dual USB 3.0 / 2.0
The ZED Box is designed to have a USB3.0 (High Speed) port, a USB2.0 port, and a USB OTG port in separate connection ports, giving users the flexibility they need for their own hardware architecture.
This design for the ZED Box enables users to connect multiple devices to the gateway. The keyboard, Mouse, or Serial Adapter can be connected to the USB 2.0 port and a ZED camera can be connected to the USB 3.0 port.
Having a separate connection port for the OTG makes it possible to reserve a port for diagnostics and flash needs.
Ready-to-use straight out of the box!
No need to spend hours on setting up your Edge Computing system, wasting valuable manhours on getting the gateways up and running. The ZED Box is ready to use straight out of the box.
The ZED Box comes already set up (with the user, pwdw, hostname) and it comes with all the necessary components for development such as the latest JetPack with CUDA, TRT, CUDNN, OpenCV, VisionWorks, Docker.
Install the latest ZED SDK, plug in your ZED cameras and you’re all set. The ZED Box supports natively all current and future Stereolabs depth camera models (ZED, ZED Mini, ZED 2, and ZED 2i).
Unique Hostname
The ZED Box is installed with a guaranteed unique hostname, for ease of use.
During set-up, no need to retrieve the IP addresses, to connect remotely to a system. We have done the hard work for you.
For example, with ssh user@ <hostname>, where <hostname> is indicated on the back of the gateway when you order them, you can connect to a remote device instantly, without plugging a display to discover your IP address.
An Edge Computing system easy to install
The ZED Box comes with mounting brackets so that you can install it anywhere. No need to search for mounting options, everything is inside. It is the ideal Edge Computing AI gateway for industrial or autonomous machines!
Want to know more? Email us at: support@stereolabs.com
