After you’ve read the first part and recognize the benefits of Flutter on embedded hardware, especially in terms of mobile application reuse and avoiding licensing challenges, let’s see what it takes to run your Flutter app on an embedded device.
Running Flutter on Embedded Devices
Building an Embedder
Creating an Embedder is a complex task that involves connecting Flutter to low-level hardware or OS features of the target platform.
This includes:
- Configuring graphics interfaces like OpenGL or Vulkan
- Managing event loops
- Handling input/output interfaces
Linux on the Desktop relies on windowing systems such as X11 or Wayland. On embedded devices it can make sense to avoid a windowing system altogether (DRM/EGL) to minimize resource usage. This means there cannot be one standard Embedder for Linux.
While Google actually recognize the usecase of running Flutter on Embedded Devices as a valid possibility. There is no official embedder for embedded plattforms. To our luck, this gap is filled by several open-source projects, such as:
- Flutter-Pi
- Sony Embedder
- Toyota IVI Homescreen
Comparison of Popular Flutter Embedders for Embedded Systems
|
EMBEDDER
|
SUPPORTED ARCHITECTURE
|
GRAPHICS BACKEND
|
KEY FEATURES
|
TARGET USECASES
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Flutter-Pi
|
32-bit and 64-bit CPUs
|
DRM/EGL
|
Lightweight, supports low-cost hardware
|
Budget-sensitive embedded projects
|
|
Sony Embedder
|
64-bit CPUs
|
Wayland
|
Complex GUIs, multi-application setups
|
Consumer electronics, industrial use
|
|
Toyota IVI Homescreen
|
64-bit CPUs
|
Wayland
with EGL and Vulkan as backend |
Automotive-focused, multi-window IVI systems
|
In-vehicle infotainment systems
|
- Flutter-Pi is the only option that supports both 32-bit and 64-bit CPUs, making it suitable for a wide range of hardware (not only Raspberry Pi), especially budget-friendly options. It is ideal for simpler use cases where lightweight performance is key.
- Sony Embedder is geared towards 64-bit systems with robust support for Wayland, enabling complex GUIs that can run multiple applications. This makes it suitable for consumer electronics or industrial embedded environments.
- Toyota IVI Homescreen is specifically built with in-vehicle infotainment systems in mind, supporting advanced multi-window setups via Wayland with EGL or Vulkan backends. There is a wide range of plugins to cover various usecases such as cloud login, web view, etc. For a list, take a look at their GitHub page.
Choosing the Right Flutter Embedder for Your Embedded Project
Flutter-Pi is, because of its versatility in supporting both 32-bit and 64-bit CPUs, a good choice for many embedded devices (and not only for Raspberry Pi). The support for 32-bit makes it ideal for projects that need cost-effective hardware. Its lightweight nature and broader hardware compatibility makes it a strong choice for HMIs where minimizing costs is important.
Conclusion
Concluding part two, you may take with you that the choice of Embedder should align with your project goals—whether it’s prioritizing hardware efficiency with Flutter-Pi, or harnessing advanced GUI capabilities with Sony and Toyota solutions. If you’re uncertain about which Embedder is best for you, feel free to reach out to us for an initial assessment by our experts.
