ams introduces the world’s smallest digital camera module

News facts:

  • Tiny, light and compact digital image sensor makes the camera invisible in wearable devices like VR headsets

  • At 1mm2, the new surface-mount NanEyeC image sensor’s wafer-level integrated optics make it possible to integrate into any size-constrained application to add visualization

  • 100kpixel resolution and deep focal range provide the image quality and low power consumption needed for eye tracking in VR headsets and other consumer devices

  • Convenient digital output is easy to integrate in microcontroller- or applications processor-based systems


Premstaetten, Austria (December 10, 2020) -- ams (SIX: AMS), a leading worldwide supplier of high performance sensor solutions, today announces the pre-release of one of the industry’s smallest, lightest 100k pixel image sensor to provide a digital video output suitable for use in mobile or wearable consumer devices like virtual reality (VR) headsets. Enabling all types of visual sensing, it is GDPR compliant, connects flexibly to interfaces, and is affordable for single-use applications in consumer electronics.

The new NanEyeC image sensor is supplied as a lensed, chip-scale module which has a footprint of 1mm2  and weighs about 1g. Combining a wide-angle view with a good depth of focus, the NanEyeC offers the speed and picture quality needed for an emerging set of video applications where the camera must be virtually invisible to the end user, or be accommodated in a very small space.

They include:

  • Eye tracking in VR or augmented reality (AR) headsets or frames
  • People detection and counting in building automation systems such as smart lighting and air conditioning
  • Object detection and avoidance in robotic equipment such as autonomous vacuum clean-ers or the smallest of drones
  • Toys and model trains for an immersive experience
  • Capsule endoscopy or dental imaging tools

Dina Aguiar, Marketing Manager for the Micro Camera Module product line at ams, said: “Due to the NanEye's tiny dimensions and high image quality, the product family already has a loyal following among medical endoscopes manufacturers. Now the NanEyeC consumer version offers the same quality and performance in a compact SGA package suitable for mounting on the space-constrained PCB in wearable or mobile devices.”

The NanEyeC camera is a full-featured image sensor supplied as a 1mm x 1mm lensed surface-mount module. It provides digital image data at a maximum resolution of 320px x 320px, and when in Single Ended Interface Mode (SEIM) can achieve a maximum speed of 58 frames/s. 
The sensor’s digital LVDS or SEIM interfaces make it simple to connect it to any host microcontroller or applications processor. The sensor also has an idle mode for reduced power consumption. 

The NanEyeC image sensor is available for sampling, in addition an evaluation kit can be ordered.

For more technical information or to request samples, go to https://ams.com/NanEyeC.