> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://hackerbot-industries.gitbook.io/documentation-hackerbot-industries/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://hackerbot-industries.gitbook.io/documentation-hackerbot-industries/tutorials/utilizing-ai-kit.md).

# Utilizing AI Kit

In this tutorial, we'll walk you through setting up your AI Kit and running example applications for object detection and human pose estimation using the Raspberry Pi 5 (RPi5).

### Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure the following:

* You have a Raspberry Pi 5 (RPi5) with the OS installed and booted successfully.
* Your RPi5 is connected to your Wi-Fi network.
* VNC is enabled, and you're using a VNC client (like TigerVNC) to access the RPi5 remotely.

> For help with installing the OS or enabling VNC, refer to the [Getting Started](/documentation-hackerbot-industries/getting-started/what-is-hackerbot.md) section of this documentation.

**About the AI Kit Installation**

If you purchased a complete Hackerbot with an AI Kit (AI, AI Pro, or AI Elite Edition), the AI Kit comes pre-installed. If you purchased the AI Kit separately, follow the hardware installation instructions [here](https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/accessories/ai-kit.html#ai-kit-installation).

**USB Camera Requirement**

Make sure a USB camera is connected to the RPi5. Most Hackerbot kits come with a global shutter camera suitable for the examples in this tutorial.

***

### Step 1: Connect and Launch Terminal

Connect to your RPi5 using TigerVNC. Once connected, open a terminal window. All following steps assume you're working from this terminal.

***

### Step 2: Update the System and Firmware

It's important to run the latest software to ensure hardware compatibility and receive security updates.

**Update OS Packages**

Run the following to update all software packages to their latest versions:

```sh
sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade
```

**Check Your Bootloader Firmware**

The firmware controls how the RPi5 interfaces with connected hardware.

```sh
sudo rpi-eeprom-update
```

Check the output. If the date listed is **earlier than December 6, 2023**, you will need to update your firmware.

**Update the Bootloader**

Launch the configuration tool:

```sh
sudo raspi-config
```

* Navigate to: `Advanced Options > Bootloader Version`
* Select `Latest`
* Press `Finish` or `Esc` to exit the config tool

Then, apply the firmware update:

```sh
sudo rpi-eeprom-update -a
```

Reboot the system to apply changes:

```sh
sudo reboot
```

After rebooting, reconnect using TigerVNC and open a new terminal.

***

### Step 3: Enable PCIe Gen 3.0

The AI Kit uses the PCIe interface to communicate at high speed with the RPi5. Enabling Gen 3.0 mode allows full bandwidth operation.

Run the following:

```sh
sudo raspi-config
```

* Go to Advanced Options
* Select PCIe Speed
* Choose Yes to enable PCIe Gen 3.0
* Exit and reboot:

```sh
sudo reboot
```

> **Note**: This reboot may take a few minutes. Be patient and reconnect with TigerVNC once it's ready.

***

### Step 4: Install Hailo Software and Dependencies

The Hailo AI accelerator requires software support to work with the RPi5.

Install the complete package:

```sh
sudo apt install hailo-all
```

This may take several minutes. Once complete, reboot again:

```sh
sudo reboot
```

After reboot, open a new terminal and verify that the device is detected:

```sh
hailortcli fw-control identify
```

Expected output (details may vary):

```
Executing on device: 0000:01:00.0
Identifying board
Control Protocol Version: 2
Firmware Version: 4.19.0
Board Name: Hailo-8
Device Architecture: HAILO8L
...
```

If you receive output like the above, your Hailo hardware is successfully recognized.

***

### Step 5: Install Example Applications

Clone the official example repository from Hailo and run the installer script:

```sh
cd ~/Documents/
git clone https://github.com/hailo-ai/hailo-rpi5-examples.git
cd hailo-rpi5-examples
./install.sh
```

This installs scripts and models that demonstrate real-time AI inference using the Hailo chip.

***

### Step 6: Run Example Pipelines

Each time you reboot the RPi5 or change Python environments, you'll need to source the environment setup script:

```sh
cd ~/Documents/hailo-rpi5-examples
source setup_env.sh
```

Now you can run the example applications. Make sure your USB camera is connected and recognized as `/dev/video0`.

#### Object Detection

```sh
python basic_pipelines/detection.py --input /dev/video0
```

This runs a real-time object detector and displays bounding boxes for detected objects.

#### Human Pose Estimation

```sh
python basic_pipelines/pose_estimation.py --input /dev/video0
```

This tracks and overlays human skeletons on detected individuals.

#### Instance Segmentation

```sh
python basic_pipelines/instance_segmentation.py --input /dev/video0
```

This performs segmentation by coloring each detected object with a unique mask.

***

### Next Steps

Interested in training on your own dataset?\
Check out the retraining guide from Hailo:

👉 [Retraining Example Documentation](https://github.com/hailo-ai/hailo-rpi5-examples/blob/main/doc/retraining-example.md)

***

### Reference Links

* [Raspberry Pi AI Kit Documentation](https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/accessories/ai-kit.html)
* [Raspberry Pi AI Compute Docs](https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/computers/ai.html)
* [Hailo RPi5 Examples GitHub](https://github.com/hailo-ai/hailo-rpi5-examples)