Raspberry Pi to get camera for robotics applications

The Raspberry Pi Foundation is developing an add-on camera module for the popular and cheap mini-computer, and plans to put it on sale later this year.

The Raspberry Pi's upcoming camera module is designed to help build robots. Image credit: Raspberry Pi Foundation

"We may downgrade the super-duperness of the camera to something with fewer than its current 14 megapixels before release; we need to keep things affordable, and a sensor of that size will end up pricey," Raspberry Pi Foundation spokeswoman Liz Upton said.

The price of the final unit has still not been established, she explained, adding that the mechanics of the module had also not yet been finalised.

What is certain is that the module will plug into the Raspberry Pi motherboard with a ribbon cable.

The Raspberry Pi is a computer that is roughly the size of a credit card. It costs just under £32 and its intended purpose is educational, although plenty of enthusiasts have also been keen to play with the device.

A month ago, the waiting list for the computer was 250,000-strong. The foundation is slowly chipping away at that, and on Friday it noted that distributor RS Components was inviting more of those who pre-registered interest to place their orders.

RS said that, by the end of this week, it expected to have invited all 100,000 people who registered on the first day to actually get their orders in.