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I Replaced My Laptop’s WiFi with Coral TPU – Here’s What Happened!

Science & Technology

Introduction

Welcome back to my channel! Today, I’d like to share a fascinating journey I undertook with my trusty, albeit ancient, Lenovo S210 Touch laptop, which I initially purchased in 2013. This 11-year-old machine, with its Pentium 4 second-generation CPU, 8 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB storage capacity, has been my dependable Samba and Plex Media Server, running non-stop for the past seven years.

The Unexpected Journey

To my surprise, this laptop has not only persisted but thrived under constant use. Therefore, I decided to explore an upgrade to transform it into an AI-based Network Video Recorder (NVR) for home surveillance. I had a precise goal: to incorporate a Coral TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) to enhance its object detection capabilities.

Setting Up the Coral TPU

I began by installing Frigate NVR, which allows for connecting IP cameras and recording video footage via the RTSP protocol. However, I quickly realized that the necessary processing for effective object detection required more power than my trusty laptop could muster. Enter the Google Coral TPU, which I planned to fit into the mini PCI slot by replacing the existing Wi-Fi card.

Disassembling the laptop was straightforward. Even though it had endured its share of wear and tear, I was amazed that it still functioned. After removing the Wi-Fi card and preparing the Coral TPU, I installed it confidently, securing it gently and pushing the wires related to the antenna out of the way.

Bringing It to Life

With the laptop reassembled, I connected the power supply and booted it up. After logging into the system via SSH, I executed a command to check if the Coral TPU had been detected. To my immense joy, it was recognized without a hitch!

The next phase involved installing the appropriate drivers and configuring Frigate to utilize the new Coral TPU. I followed the necessary commands and rebooted the system, upon which I verified that the drivers were correctly installed. The output reflected successful integration, indicating substantially reduced inference times for object detection.

The Results

Once everything was set up, I was excited to see that the inference speed had dropped from approximately 200 milliseconds to an impressive 8.69 milliseconds. This marked a significant enhancement in detection speed, making real-time object detection feasible.

Moreover, the upgraded system not only served as a storage solution but also as a smart NVR. Utilizing the machine learning capabilities of the Coral TPU, it intelligently recorded only upon detecting motion, minimizing unnecessary storage consumption. Integrating this setup with Home Assistant allowed for advanced automation, such as lights turning on when a person was detected—ensuring a level of sophistication that older NVR systems simply couldn’t offer.

Conclusion

Who would have thought that an ancient laptop could be repurposed for such modern applications? The Coral TPU upgrade provided a powerful enhancement to my home surveillance system, allowing me to detect and record video intelligently.

I hope this overview inspires you to consider breathing new life into your old devices! If you found this article helpful, please subscribe to my channel to keep exploring tech innovations together.

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FAQ

Q1: What is a Coral TPU?
A1: The Coral TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) is a device designed by Google, optimized for machine learning tasks such as object detection and other AI workloads.

Q2: Can I replace a Wi-Fi card with a Coral TPU?
A2: Yes, in many laptops with a mini PCI slot, you can replace the Wi-Fi card with a Coral TPU for enhanced processing power related to AI tasks.

Q3: How does Frigate NVR work?
A3: Frigate NVR allows you to connect IP cameras to record video footage through the RTSP protocol while providing capabilities for motion detection and intelligent video storage.

Q4: Is it worth upgrading an old laptop with a Coral TPU?
A4: Yes, upgrading an old laptop can enhance its capabilities significantly, allowing it to perform demanding tasks like real-time object detection without the need for a high-end new machine.

Q5: What additional features can I integrate with Home Assistant?
A5: You can set up automations, such as lights turning on in response to detected objects, notifications for events, and many more interactive functionalities within your smart home setup.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you found this article insightful!