UDOO Key Unveils a Flexible AI Platform that Combines Raspberry Pi RP2040 and ESP32

There’s more to AI than supercomputers and the big things that we often think about when AI is mentioned. Sometimes it is more about bringing AI technology to everyday objects around us and helping people augment what they have in their homes. This is why several companies now look for new ways life can be made easier and better through AI.

UDOO, an embedded computing specialist, is set to launch a crowdfunding campaign for a miniature flexible AI development board named UDOO Key. This microcontroller board combines a Raspberry Pi RP2040, an Espressif ESP32, and AI technology — launching for just $4 (for early backers).

“UDOO KEY is a fully programmable board combining Raspberry Pi RP2040 and ESP32 into a single powerful solution. It allows you to use either RP2040, ESP32 or both to build any AI projects on your terms,” the company writes.

The RP2040 microcontroller has a dual-core Arm Cortex-M0 processor clocked at 133MHz, 264kB of static RAM (SRAM), 8MB of QSPI external flash (4x the amount of the Raspberry Pi Pico) and 8x programmable input/output (PIO) state machines. The ESP32 on the other hand is powered by a dual-core Xtensa 32-bit LX6, 16MB flash memory and 8MB of pseudo-static RAM (PSRAM), and Wi-Fi & Bluetooth connectivity.

The RP2040 is located at the center while the ESP32 is located at the top of the board. You can either use them independently or separately depending on your needs, but the real power of the board lies in using the duo together. Both are fully programmable and compatible with Raspberry Pi Pico accessories and Olimex UEXT accessories.

Other features of the board include a USB Type-C port for data and power along with an expansion header that is based on the Olimex UEXT standard and the ESP32 microcontroller. The board also has an onboard microphone and a nine-axis IMU (inertial measurement unit).

The board is also said to be AI-capable, supporting different programming environments like tinyML and TensorFlow Lite, MicroPython, Arduino IDE and C/C++. The device is also said to support Clea — the AI platform for deploying AI models and applications over a fleet of IoT devices through over-the-air updates.

The board will cost $20 at retail price but early bird backers will have it at a whopping 80% discount which places it at just $4. This “once-in-a-lifetime” price will place the board at the same price level as a Raspberry Pi Pico.

No details yet on when the board will be launched, but you can sign up at the company’s website to get updates and also get notified when the project finally goes live.

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