Overview: Orange Pi expands into AI at the edge
Orange Pi has unveiled a new line of AI-focused mini PCs designed to run machine learning workloads on the device itself. The centerpiece, the Orange Pi AI Studio Pro, leverages Huawei’s Ascend-310 architecture to bring robust on-device AI capabilities to edge deployments. Depending on configuration, peak performance can reach up to 352 TOPS, making it competitive for local AI tasks that don’t rely on cloud computing.
In addition to raw performance, the platform is engineered for flexible AI workflows, enabling developers to prototype, test, and deploy models directly at the edge. This emphasis on local inference is particularly relevant for sensitive data, low-latency requirements, and use cases that must operate without constant internet connectivity.
Hardware and software highlights
At the heart of the AI Studio family lies the Ascend-310 processor, built with eight cores—two ARM Cortex-A55 cores and dedicated AI/Vector/Image cores. Each chip provides around 176 TOPS of AI throughput. The Pro variant packs two of these processors, delivering the combined throughput of up to 352 TOPS in total. RAM options range from 48 GB to 192 GB LPDDR4X, with the Pro model typically taking advantage of the higher end. On the I/O side, the system offers USB4 via Type-C up to 40 Gbps, plus a power connector, a power button, status LEDs, and an RGB light bar integrated into the case. The initial software stack is Ubuntu 22.04.5 with Linux kernel 5.15; Windows support is promised in the near term.
DeepSeek compatibility and on-device models
A notable feature is built-in support to run the DeepSeek R1 model locally, enabling enterprise-grade on-device inference without cloud dependencies. This aligns with a broader trend toward privacy-preserving AI where sensitive data never leaves the site. The capability to execute large and specialized models directly on the board makes the AI Studio Pro attractive for industries with strict latency and data-residency requirements.
What can you do with the AI Studio Pro?
Orange Pi lists several typical applications that benefit from edge AI: optical character recognition (OCR) to extract text from documents, object and facial recognition for security and automation, and multimodal AI assistants that process text, images, audio, and video in tandem. Other use cases include content moderation, VR-assisted AI experiences, and IoT data processing from field sensors. For makers and small teams, the devices can power a smart workshop where a camera feed monitors the workspace and natural-language prompts guide tool location and usage—completing tasks locally without sending data to the cloud.
Availability, pricing and regional notes
As of now, the Orange Pi AI Studio series is not available in Germany and, more broadly, is not yet in the European market. Price points are positioned between the base non-Pro model and the high-end Pro variant: roughly 900 euros for the RAM-rich baseline configuration and up to about 2000 euros for the Pro model with the highest memory footprint. Exact configurations and regional launch dates are expected to be announced in the near future.
Outlook
With its emphasis on on-device AI, DeepSeek compatibility, and a flexible RAM configuration, the AI Studio Pro positions Orange Pi as a compelling option for developers and businesses seeking low-latency AI at the edge. The combination of Huawei’s Ascend-310 architecture and a Linux-based software stack could enable rapid prototyping of OCR, recognition tasks, and multimodal AI workflows right at the source of data collection.
