Robotics is an exciting and rapidly growing field, and a single board computer is an invaluable tool if you want to start creating your own custom robots. In this post, we’ll go over the best single board computers for robotics, as well as cover some of the more specialized FPGA boards that are popular with hardware designers.
Best Single Board Computer for Robotics
Best Single Board Computer for Robotics
NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kit
The NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kit (Buy Online) is our pick for the best single-board computer for robotics. It has a quad-core ARM A57 processor, integrated 128-core Maxwell GPU with 4K support., four USB 3.0 ports, and a MIPI CSI-2 Camera Connector.
The NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kit is a great single-board computer for robotics. It can be used to create autonomous robots, and also has capabilities in the fields of AI and computer vision.
This powerful development kit supports Linux OS, CUDA 9, cuDNN 7, and TensorRT software libraries for deep learning on embedded devices, which enables this board to handle advanced AI processing in low power environments like drones/UAVs.
Overall, If you are looking for the best single board computer for robotics, the NVIDIA Jetson Nano is a great choice. This small and powerful device packs in an impressive amount of power in a convenient form factor, and it has deep learning support that will allow you to tackle more advanced robotics projects.
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (8GB)
The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (Buy Online) is one of the most popular single board computers for robotics hobbyists. This model features a 64-bit quad-core processor, dual display support, and 8GB of RAM that keeps this single board computer running smoothly.
The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B also has built-in Gigabit Ethernet ports for connectivity, USB 3.0 port for storage devices or other peripherals like mice and keyboards as well as Bluetooth 5 and wireless LAN functionality so you can connect wirelessly from anywhere in your home or office.
This model can be used as an educational tool or a method for prototyping your next big idea. You’ll even have plenty of room for expansion thanks to the open-source software that accompanies this device.
If you’re looking for new ways to teach STEM principles or want affordable access to hardware development, then come learn about all features available on the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (Click Here)
ASUS Tinker Board S Quad-Core 1.8GHz SoC 2GB RAM 16GB eMMC
The ASUS Tinker Board (Buy Online) is one of the best single board computers for robotics. It has a quad-core ARM SoC running at up to 1.8GHz and it has 2GB of DDR3 RAM. This SBC also comes with a T764 GPU with 4k UHD video support, and it has a 16GB onboard eMMC module along with a Gigabit LAN and Wi-Fi connectivity.
Plus, the ASUS Tinker Board has four USB ports that can be used for wired or wireless keyboard/mouse input devices or other peripherals such as external hard drives. Additionally, it includes a built-in HDMI port that will allow you to connect it to your TV or monitor.
The ASUS Tinker Board is a great single board computer for robotics. It’s versatile and powerful enough to be used in any field or industry. This includes home automation, robotics research, control systems, or just about anything that requires embedded computing power.
Plus, the ASUS Tinker Board has everything you need right out of the box making it perfect for anyone who wants to quickly get a robot up and running right away.
BeagleBone AI
The BeagleBone AI (Buy Online) is one of the best single board computers for robotics and Artificial Intelligence projects. It has a 1GHz Arm Cortex-A15 processor, two Arm Cortex-M4 co-processors, 1GB RAM, and an onboard 6GB eMMC flash memory card with 5 GHz/2.4GHz WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity built-in.
You can use this computer to run your robot or other IoT devices without needing any extra hardware which saves you time and money. This incredible little single board computer also includes a Micro HDMI output so that it’s easy to connect to a monitor, TV screen, or projector if you want to use it as a stand-alone computer.
If you’re looking to build your own robot or need a high-performance computing platform that can handle more complex applications than other boards such as the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, then the BeagleBone AI is a great Raspberry Pi Alternative for low power robotics projects.
ODROID-XU4 Single Board Computer with Quad Core 2GHz A15, 2GB RAM
The ODROID-XU4 (Buy Online) is one of the best single board computers on the market for robotics and other applications. It features an ARM Cortex A7 octa-core CPU, Mali-T628 MP6 GPU, 2GB LPDDR3 RAM, eMMC Flash Storage, and two USB 3.0 ports. This machine could be a perfect fit for you if your application needs high-performance computing or graphics processing power. It also has a small form factor that will save space in your lab or inside your robot. And best of all the ODROID-XU4 is also very affordable for the amount of power it offers.
ODROID N2 Single Board Computer (SBC) (4GB) with Power Supply
The ODROID N2 (Buy Online) is the best single board computer for robotics. It has a quad-core ARM 1.8Ghz Cortex-A73 CPU, a dual-core cluster of Cortex-A53 CPUs, Mali G52 GPU, and 4GB DDR4 RAM. This board also features a fanless design with superior thermal characteristics that can be used in any environment such as automotive or industrial control systems where reliability and long-lasting performance are essential requirements. If you’re looking to get started building your own robot without breaking the bank then check out the ODROID N2 (Click Here)
Banana PI BPI-W2 Single Board Computer with Realtek RTD1296 Chip
The Banana PI BPI-W2 (Buy Online) single board computer is the best choice for robotics. It has a Realtek RTD1296 CPU, a Mali T820 MP3 GPU and 2G DDR4 SDRAM. The Banana PI also comes equipped with an 8GB eMMC flash memory module.
This single board computer also has a Gigabit Ethernet connection and a high speed 802.11ac/n WLAN capability, which makes it perfect to use in various robotic applications where video or audio feeds need to be sent from your robot back to you while still being able to control it wirelessly.
Plus, there’s plenty of expandability options for all kinds of add-on boards like sensors, camera modules, displays, etc.
youyeetoo Rock PI X Model B Win10 in-tel Atom x5-Z8303 Single Board Computer
The youyeetoo Rock PI X (Buy Online) is an excellent single board computer for robotics. With its Intel Cherry Trail quad-core processor and 1866Mb/s LPDDR3 memory, it will have no problem running powerful programs like Windows 10 or ROS (Robot Operating System). It also has an input voltage of 9V to 20V, which means that it can be powered by several different sources such as solar panels or batteries. This Raspberry Pi alternative also includes Bluetooth 4.2 with WIFI 802.11 ac and Gigabit LAN.
SmartFly info Tinker Board 2S 6-Core 2.0 GHz Rockchip RK3399 Single Board Computer 2GB RAM 16GB eMMC Storage
The SmartFly info Tinker Board (Buy Online) is one of the best single board computers for robotics. It’s a clone of the original, but it gives you more features and capabilities than ever before. For starters, this microcomputer has 6 cores instead of 4 which means that everything runs faster due to increased processing power.
It also has a 64-bit Armv8 architecture with a multi-core Mali-T860 GPU as well as support for the Android Neural Networks API 1.2 so you can do some serious machine learning on your robot without any hassle. If you’re looking for the perfect computer to run all your data science research or just want an affordable option to build out your own artificial intelligence lab in the garage (or basement), then you’ll definitely want to check out the SmartFly info Tinker Board (Click Here)
Digilent Zybo Z7: Zynq-7000 ARM/FPGA SoC Development Board
The Digilent Zybo Z7 (Buy Online) is an excellent choice for robotics because of its low price, easy-to-use interface, and configurable hardware. This FPGA SoC Development Board can be programmed from JTAG or a microSD card which makes it perfect for people who want to have the ability to make changes to a processors underlying operations without having to go through a complicated hardware design process.
With Ethernet and USB 2.0 capabilities you can connect this board to your computer easily as well as other electronic devices like cameras, motors, etc. It also includes an HDMI port so you can use it to handle graphics processing
If you’ve been building robots using Arduino boards but need more control than what’s available on those platforms then you might want to upgrade to the Digilent Zybo Z7
ALINX AX7101: Artix-7 XC7A100T FPGA Development Board
The ALINX AX7101 (Buy Online) is the best single board computer for custom robotics projects because it supports Verilog HDL code for prototyping hardware designs. This means that you can use this FPGA development board to create a prototype of your next robot before investing in custom chips, saving time and money.
The ALINX AX7101 is a high-performance, single board computer that is the perfect choice for advanced robotics projects. This particular model features a Xilinx Artix-7 XC7Z100T-2FGG484I FPGA with 8GB of DDR3 SDRAM and 128MB QSPI Flash that will allow you to accomplish almost any type of robotics task.
EleDuino BeagleBone Black Rev C (4G) Single Board Computer Development Board
The EleDuino BeagleBone Black Rev C (Buy Online) is the best low-cost single board computer for robotics. If you’re looking for a powerful, affordable single-board computer to use in your robotics project or as the brain of an autonomous vehicle, look no further than the BeagleBone Black Rev C. This tiny circuit board packs quite a punch with a 1 GHz processor, 512MB of DDR3 SDRAM and 4GB 8-bit eMMC. It also has a USB host and OTG support which allows it to be used as both a controlling device and self-contained storage device.
Libre Computer Board AML-S905X-CC (Le Potato) 2GB 64-bit Mini Computer
The Libre Computer Board (Buy Online) has a quad 64-bit 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A53 Processor, an ARM Mali-450 750MHz GPU and 2GB of DDR3 RAM. It also supports the Android operating system which can be used to provide support for various functions like IoT (Internet of Things), 3D printing, media streaming, etc.
The Libre Computer Board is a powerful single board computer that’s perfect for automation and robotics. Plus, it can be used with Raspberry Pi 3 accessories since it has 40 Pin header compatibility, so you have plenty of options when designing your robot project.
If you want more versatility and software support than what a Raspberry Pi offers but don’t need all the features offered by an Intel NUC or Beagleboard xM, then you might want to give this SBC some consideration.
Conclusion
Overall, the NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kit (Buy Online) is the best single board computer for robotics, because it has a powerful GPU that provides high-performance neural network support.
If you’re looking to build an autonomous robot with deep learning capabilities, this kit will give you all of that capability in one package. It also supports a software ecosystem that makes it easy to develop applications quickly using open standards like CUDA C++ and Python without having to learn new languages.
Additionally, if you want help figuring out which features are right for your project, be sure to reach out. We’ll be happy to answer any questions so we can provide guidance on the perfect solution for your needs.
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