CamThink NeoEyes NE101 – A low-power, modular ESP32-S3 Vision AI Camera with optional 4G LTE and WiFi HaLow connectivity

CamThink NeoEyes NE101 is a battery-powered, low-power Vision AI Camera powered by an ESP32-S3 wireless module, featuring event-triggered image capture, and suitable for real-time vision control.

By default, the camera supports WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, and ships with a 5MP OV5640 camera module with an LED flash. However, the ESP32-S3 camera has a modular design, and it is offered with 4G LTE Cat 1 or WiFi HaLow connectivity, supports replaceable lenses, optional housing, and custom mounting options.

CamThink NeoEyes NE101 specifications:

• Wireless Module – ESP32-S3-WROOM-1
  • MCU – ESP32-S3 dual-core Tensilica LX7 up to 240 MHz with 512KB SRAM, up to 8MB PSRAM
  • Storage – 16MB flash
  • Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth LE 5
  • PCB antenna
• Optional wireless features
  • NE101-L01GL – LTE Cat 1 with global support
  • NE101-HL00 – WiFi HaLow 868 MHz
  • NE101-HL01 – WiFi HaLow 915 MHz
• Storage – MicroSD card slot
• Camera
  • FPC camera connector – By default fitted with OV5640 module with 120°/60° FOV and near/far focus options available
  • 4-pin USB camera connector
  • LED fill light
• USB – 1x USB Type-C port for power and UART
• Expansion
  • 1x UART connector
  • 16-pin female header with I2C, SPI, GPIO
• Misc
  • Snap button
  • Boot and Reset buttons
  • Alarm input connector
  • PIR input connector
  • Synchronization: hardware trigger, software trigger, or free-run
• Power Supply
  • 5V via USB-C port for charging
  • 4x AA batteries
  • Consumption – <= 1W (standby mode); note: the company claims up to two years on a battery charge, which seems unlikely…
• Dimensions – 77 x 77 x 48mm (plastic housing)
• Temperature Range – -20°C – +50°C
• Certifications – CE, FCC, RoHS

CamThink provides the structural design files for DIY housing (3D printable) or customized extensions, as well as open-source firmware for the camera. This allows for the design of wall, desk, and pole mounts, and the user can customize the firmware with low-power modes, device wake-up, MQTT data transmission, fill-light control, scheduled shooting, image parameter adjustment, and network management.

A web interface running on the camera is used to configure all parameters, such as WiFi or LTE Cat 1 settings, image parameters, capture settings, MQTT configuration, and more.The wiki has more details, and you’ll also find the source code on GitHub.

The camera can be used in industrial settings, for instance, for predictive maintenance or machine inspection, as well as in Smart Agriculture applications to monitor crop growth or livestock. We’ve covered many ESP32-S3 camera solutions over the years, but most of those are boards to be integrated into custom enclosures, with a few exceptions like the M5Stack ATOMS3R Cam, NORVI AI Optic, and LILYGO T-Camera S3 (when ordered with its case). The NeoEyes NE101 may be the most advanced ESP32-S3 camera we’ve covered so far with a complete design and modularity allowing camera swapping, as well as 4G LTE Cat 1 and WiFi HaLow connectivity.

CamThink is a new company, and the NeoEyes NE101 AI camera is one of its first products, launched along with the NeoEdge NG4500 Jetson Orin NX/Nano Edge AI box. The ESP32-S3-based Vision AI camera is sold for $69.90 to $112.00 depending on selected wireless connectivity options. The product page may also have a few more details.

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