GAP9Shield: A 150GOPS AI-capable Ultra-low Power Module for Vision and Ranging Applications on Nano-drones

TL;DR

GAP9Shield is a high-performance, ultra-low power module for nano-drones, enabling advanced AI, imaging, and obstacle avoidance within a compact, energy-efficient design suitable for indoor applications.

Contribution

The paper introduces GAP9Shield, a novel nano-drone module with a 150GOPS-capable processor, high-definition imaging, and obstacle sensing, significantly improving performance and energy efficiency over existing systems.

Findings

20% higher sample rate for RGB images

20% weight reduction compared to similar systems

Object detection at below 100 mW power with 17 ms latency

Abstract

The evolution of AI and digital signal processing technologies, combined with affordable energy-efficient processors, has propelled the development of both hardware and software for drone applications. Nano-drones, which fit into the palm of the hand, are suitable for indoor environments and safe for human interaction; however, they often fail to deliver the required performance for complex tasks due to the lack of hardware providing sufficient sensing and computing performance. Addressing this gap, we present the GAP9Shield, a nano-drone-compatible module powered by the GAP9, a 150GOPS-capable SoC. The system also includes a 5MP OV5647 camera for high-definition imaging, a WiFi-BLE NINA module, and a 5D VL53L1-based ranging subsystem, which enhances obstacle avoidance capabilities. In comparison with similarly targeted state-of-the-art systems, GAP9Shield provides a 20% higher sample rate (RGB images) while offering a 20% weight reduction. In this paper, we also highlight the energy efficiency and processing power capabilities of GAP9 for object detection (YOLO), localization, and mapping, which can run within a power envelope of below 100 mW and at low latency (as 17 ms for object detection), highlighting the transformative potential of GAP9 for the new generation of nano-drone applications.