The XIAOML Kit is one of the devkits that complements Harvard University Professor Vijay Janapa Reddi’s book “Introduction to Machine Learning Systems“, available for free as a 2050-page PDF file.
Made by Seeed Studio, the XIAOML Kit is composed of the XIAO ESP32S3 Sense with an ESP32-S3 WiFI and Bluetooth SoC, a microSD card slot, a built-in OV3660 camera and microphone, and the “IMU Breakout board” featuring a 6-axis IMU and 0.42-inch OLED display. The kit enables students, educators, and developers to build vision, sound, and motion applications through tinyML lab sessions developed with Marcelo Rovai (UNIFEI).
XIAOML Kit specifications:
- Main Board – XIAO ESP32S3 Sense
- SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3R8 dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller @ 240 MHz with 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM, Wi-Fi 4 & Bluetooth 5.0 dual-mode (Classic + BLE) connectivity
- Storage – 8MB flash, microSD card slot
- Sensors – OV3660 camera, digital microphone
- USB – USB-C port for power and programming
- Expansion Board – IMU Breakout Board
- Display – 0.42-Inch OLED using SSD1315 driver IC
- Sensors – 6-axis LSM6DS3TR-C IMU
- Headers and pogo pins for connection to XIAO ESP32S3 Sense
- Misc – Reset button, Battery header
- Power Supply
- 5V via USB Type-C
- 3.7V battery connector on IMU Breakout Board
- Dimensions – 21 x 17.8 x 30 mm
- Weight – 10.6 grams
The full kit includes the XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense with pre-soldered headers, the IMU Breakout Board, a 2.4GHz FPC antenna (1.16dBi), two heatsinks (not sure why), and a MicroSD card tool kit comprised of a 32GB SanDisk microSD card, a USB Type-C to USB Type-A converter, and a 20cm Type-A to Type-C cable.
Lessons specific to the XIAOML Kit can be found in the PDF or directly from the book’s website, with four exercises: image classification and object detection, making use of the camera, keyword spotting with the built-in microphone, and motion classification and anomaly detection with the IMU.
As noted in the introduction, the XIAOML Kit is only one of the hardware platforms used in the “Introduction to Machine Learning Systems” book. Others are the Raspberry Pi 4/5/Zero 2 W SBCs, Arduino Nicla Vision, and Grove Vision AI V2 module, each with its own strengths and weaknesses as illustrated in the table below, although I’m not sure I understand why the Raspberry Pi ecosystem is not ideal for production deployment (maybe I should read the book to find out…).
If you are interested in the XIAOML Kit specifically, you’ll find it for $38.90 on Seeed Studio, and it should soon be listed on the company’s AliExpress store.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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