What is NEPI and what does it do?
NEPI (Numurus Edge Platform Interface) is an open-source edge AI platform built on ROS and ROS 2. It handles hardware integration, AI model deployment, event-driven automation, data collection, and browser-based monitoring, allowing teams to build smart systems without writing infrastructure from scratch.
What hardware does NEPI run on?
NEPI runs on NVIDIA Jetson platforms, including Nano, Xavier NX, Orin NX, and Orin AGX, as well as x86 Linux systems. The Docker container can also run on any standard Linux laptop without dedicated edge hardware.
Is NEPI free to use?
Yes, NEPI is free for education, evaluation, research, and prototyping under its open-source license. Educational licenses are a one-time $100 fee, while commercial licenses start at $1,000 per device, and enterprise volume licensing begins at $20,000 per year.
Does NEPI require an internet connection?
No, NEPI runs fully offline once installed. All AI inference, automation, and data collection occur on-device. An internet connection is only necessary for pulling updates or configuring optional remote dashboard access, making it ideal for environments with limited or no connectivity.
Can I use my own trained AI models with NEPI?
Yes, NEPI is model-agnostic. You can import your own trained models and run them at the edge. NEPI manages loading, inference, output routing, and triggering automation based on detection results. Supported frameworks include Darknet/YOLO and custom inference formats.