Back in November last year, we covered the launch of the NuMicro M55M1 MCU from Nuvoton, which combines an Arm Cortex-M55 core with an Ethos-U55 microNPU for on-device AI and gesture control. Now, they have released the NuMaker-GestureAI-M55M1, a development module based on that MCU for AI vision-related applications.
This new board integrates the M55M1 MCU with a GC0308 CMOS image sensor, a digital microphone, and a microSD card slot for storing AI models. It is designed for applications such as gesture control, basic vision systems, and touchless interfaces.
NuMaker-GestureAI-M55M1 specifications:
- MCU – Nuvoton NuMicro M55M1R2LJAE
- CPU – Cortex-M55 MCU @ 220 MHz
- Memory – 1.5 MB SRAM
- Storage – 2 MB Flash
- AI Accelerator – Arm Ethos-U55 micro-NPU @ 220 MHz
- Storage – MicroSD card slot (located on the back) for storing AI model files
- Camera – Integrated VGA GC0308 CMOS image sensor
- Audio – On-board digital microphone (DMIC)
- USB – High-Speed USB (HSUSB) Type-C port
- Expansion and Debugging
- ICE Interface header for debugging
- UART5 header (used for outputting gesture/detection data)
- I2C1 header
- Misc – Reset button, user button, user LED
- Power Supply – 5V via USB-C port
- Temperature – -40°C to +105°C (industrial grade)
According to NuVoton’s products page, the NuMaker-GestureAI-M55M1 board ships with firmware for out-of-the-box gesture and person recognition. The pre-loaded firmware can track human presence and recognize over 10 specific hand gestures, including: Call, First, Like, Mute, OK, One, Palm, Peace, Stop, and Three.
The board outputs this inference data via the UART5 interface using a simple hexadecimal-and-decimal packet structure. The payload includes a start marker, the tracked object/gesture ID, the bounding box coordinates, and an end marker.
UART Output Format Example: [AA][ID][x y w h][55][CC]
- [AA]: Start marker (0xAA)
- [ID]: Hexadecimal tracking ID. Person IDs range from 0x00 to 0x7F, while gesture IDs map from 0x80 to 0x8A.
- [x y w h]: Bounding box coordinates (4 decimal values from 0 to 9999).
- [55]: Intermediate marker (0x55)
- [CC]: End marker (0xCC)
The NuMicro M55M1 AI gesture control board also supports Nuvoton’s AI toolchain, allowing developers to run custom machine learning models using frameworks like TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers. You’ll find instructions to get started on the product’s page, and the firmware and source code can be found on GitHub.
The NuMaker-GestureAI-M55M1 is available on the Nuvoton Direct Store for $30.00, but at the time of writing, it’s out of stock. More information can be found in the press release.
Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication
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