NORVI AI Optic is an ESP32-S3 autofocus camera with dual LED flashlight, 2.1-inch LCD display

NORVI Controllers’ AI Optic – also written as AIOptic – is an ESP32-S3 camera solution with a 5MP OV5640 autofocus camera module, a 2.1-inch LCD Display, a dual LED flashlight, and a microSD card for data storage.

The camera also features a USB-C port for power and programming and a built-in 600mAh backup battery. It comes with a rotary switch for menu navigation and power on/off and supports external triggers via a dry contact input.

NORVI AI Optic specifications:

• Wireless module – ESP32-S3-WROOM-1U-N16R8
  • MCU – ESP32-S3 dual-core Tensilica LX7 up to 240 MHz with vector extension (for ML/AI), 512KB SRAM
  • Memory – 8MB PSRAM
  • Storage – 16MB flash
  • Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth LE 5
• Storage – MicroSD card slot
• Display – Optional 2.1-inch LCD display with 320×240 resolution using ST7789 driver
• Camera – 5MP OV5640 autofocus camera
• USB – 1x USB Type-C port for power and programming
• Misc
  • Dual LED flashlight
  • Joystick toggle switch (rotary switch)
  • External trigger dry contact input
  • 1/4-20 UNC camera mount
• Power Supply
  • 5V via USB-C port
  • Built-in 3.7V/600mAh backup battery; BQ25180YBGR battery charger
• Dimensions – 69 x 50 x 21 mm
• IP Rating – IP20

The Arduino source code for the ESP32-S3 AI OPTIC camera firmware and associated libraries can be found on GitHub. As I understand it, the firmware makes the AI OPTIC work like a normal camera with a configuration menu navigable with the rotary switch, a trigger button to take a photo with or without flash, support for an external trigger, and a display for the menu and show the captured images. The user manual goes into more detail about the hardware and firmware.

We had written about several ESP32-S3 camera boards before since it’s an ideal candidate for ML applications thanks to its vector extensions. Some of those boards include LILYGO T-SIMCAM with 4G LTE connectivity, FireBeetle 2 ESP32-S3 camera board, Tokay Lite, and LILYGO T-Camera-Plus-S3 board with night vision and touchscreen display. One of the main differences is that NORVI AI Optic is more of a complete product with an enclosure, and the closest competitor I can think of right now is the M5Stack CoreS3 with a 2.1-inch display and a low-resolution VGA camera.

NORVI AI OPTIC ESP32-S3 camera is sold on the company’s website starting at $65 (no display) and $80 (with LCD), and customers can also add a camera bracket or a long arm stand if needed. Additional information may also be found on the product page.

Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress