Redefines Entry-Level Edge AI Performance Ensuring the Right-Size Compute for Physical AI
Author: Rob Callaghan, P.Eng., Chief Product Officer, Connect Tech
Connect Tech (CTI) today announced support for the new NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 2 robotics computer, bringing more than a decade of NVIDIA Jetson experience, embedded hardware expertise, and AI engineering capabilities to a new generation of compact Edge AI systems.
Jetson Orin Nano 2 is designed to extend high-performance AI into space and power-constrained applications including smart drones, robots, and vision AI systems. For Connect Tech customers, the launch represents another opportunity to right-size compute for Physical AI applications while maintaining a path from development and evaluation to production.
“NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 2 gives developers another way to right-size AI compute for Physical AI applications without compromising the performance needed for increasingly intelligent machines,” said Rob Callaghan, P.Eng., Chief Product Officer, Connect Tech. “Our experience across the NVIDIA Jetson platform, combined with our AI architecture and engineering expertise, allows us to help customers take advantage of this new platform while applying the optimization strategies we have developed across Jetson modules and workloads. With Jetson Orin Nano 2, we can help customers determine the right platform for their application and move from development to deployment with confidence.”
Supporting the Next Generation of Edge AI Performance
NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 2 delivers 78 TOPS of AI compute, 8GB of memory, and an 8-core Arm CPU. NVIDIA also highlights improved Tensor Cores and higher memory bandwidth, with 2x the inference performance of Jetson Orin Nano Super in the same compact form factor.
The platform operates within a 40W power envelope. In low power mode, Jetson Orin Nano 2 consumes 40% less power to deliver the equivalent performance of its predecessor.
For developers, those improvements create additional headroom for AI inference, video processing, perception, and other workloads that need to run directly on an embedded system.
Connect Tech Experience Across the NVIDIA Jetson Platform
Connect Tech supports the NVIDIA Jetson platform developing embedded computing platforms, AI architecture, and engineering solutions for customers building intelligent machines.
Connect Tech brings expertise across carrier boards, embedded systems, camera and sensor integration, thermal and mechanical considerations, software and BSP support, and the practical requirements of taking an Edge AI architecture into production. Together, these capabilities form part of the CTI EdgeAI Stack, bringing compute, vision, networking, thermal, and AI engineering together to help customers move from development to deployment.
Our team of AI architects and engineers also brings experience in Physical AI, robotics and vision systems, helping customers evaluate where new Jetson capabilities fit within an existing product architecture and development roadmap.
Applying Proven Optimization Expertise Across NVIDIA Jetson Modules
For customers already developing on NVIDIA Jetson, a new module does not have to mean starting over, or automatically stepping up to a larger, more expensive configuration.
Connect Tech and CTai LABS recently demonstrated this approach by taking a Physical AI workload that had previously been scoped for a NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin 64GB and optimizing it to run on a Jetson AGX Orin 32GB with Super Mode. Through systematic memory optimization, model and runtime selection, platform configuration, and device-level benchmarking, the team was able to sustain a complete dual-model video AI stack on the smaller module.
The significance of that work extends beyond the specific 32GB and 64GB configurations. The same engineering discipline can be applied across the NVIDIA Jetson platform to help determine how much capability can be achieved on the smallest module that meets the application’s requirements.
That approach will be available to customers evaluating NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 2 from Day Zero. Connect Tech’s AI architects and engineers can apply the same optimization expertise to existing and new Physical AI and robotics pipelines, helping customers evaluate whether a workload can be right-sized for the new platform rather than sizing hardware based solely on memory capacity or assumptions.
For developers, that means NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 2 can be evaluated as part of a broader optimization strategy, helping determine whether the module is the right fit for the application’s performance, memory, power, and deployment requirements.
A Broader Jetson Orin Nano Ecosystem
Connect Tech’s existing NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano portfolio gives customers a starting point for building compact Edge AI systems around the platform. The company’s product ecosystem includes the Jetson Orin Nano 8GB module as well as carrier and platform options designed for embedded, vision, and camera-intensive applications.
As customers evaluate the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 2, Connect Tech can help determine the appropriate hardware architecture for the application, from development and proof of concept through to a production-ready embedded platform.
The goal is not simply to provide a carrier board. It is to give engineering teams a practical deployment path around the new compute platform.
Right-Sizing Compute for the Application
One of the advantages of the broader Jetson family is the ability to select compute based on the requirements of the application. NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 2 adds another option for teams balancing AI performance, memory, I/O, power, size, and system cost.
For smart drones, mobile robots, industrial vision systems, and other rugged Edge AI applications, that flexibility can be important. A system may need significant AI performance while operating within strict physical or power constraints, or it may need to scale from an existing Jetson development environment into a smaller production configuration.
Connect Tech’s engineering team can help customers evaluate those trade-offs and identify the right architecture for their deployment.
From New Module to Production System
A new module launch is not just new hardware; it is a new deployment path.
Connect Tech supports that path with NVIDIA Jetson carrier boards and embedded platforms, engineering expertise, and experience integrating compute with the cameras, sensors, networking, thermal systems, and software that make an Edge AI product work in the real world. This full-stack approach helps customers build and deploy intelligent systems for robotics, industrial automation, aerospace, and other rugged applications.
With NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 2, customers have another option for bringing Physical AI, robotics, and computer vision into compact systems. Connect Tech will continue to support customers as they move from platform evaluation to proof of concept and production deployment.
The NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 2 module and developer kit are expected to be available in the first half of 2027.
Planning a NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 2 project? Connect with Connect Tech to discuss hardware selection, optimization, Physical AI development, and a path from evaluation to production.
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About Connect Tech
Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Guelph, Canada, Connect Tech Inc. (CTI) is a global leader in rugged edge AI computing platforms engineered for robotics, autonomous systems, and mission-critical applications. For over 40 years, CTI has designed and manufactured in-house, delivering reliable edge AI architectures that unify compute, vision, networking, and thermal technologies to accelerate customers’ time to market in demanding real-world environments. Through its CTai LABS AI Engineering team, CTI transforms its EdgeAI Stack into deployable, production-ready physical AI solutions at scale. For more information, visit connecttech.com.
About CTai LABS
CTai LABS, a department of Connect Tech, is a full-stack AI engineering team, built to accelerate the deployment of physical AI on Edge platforms. Backed by Connect Tech’s proven expertise in embedded computing and NVIDIA ecosystem integration, CTai LABS delivers end-to-end engineering for robotics, vision, and AI-driven systems from concept to deployment. For more information, visit ctailabs.ai.