Edge AI cameras · Updated October 2026

Edge AI camera update and where Tokay Lite is today

In February 2023 we announced three plans for our ESP32 edge AI camera; this page keeps that note and says what became of each one.

By the Maxlab engineering team · First published · Updated

ESP32 edge AI camera board, the prototype of Tokay Lite

Quick answers

  1. What happened to the Maxlab edge AI camera? It became Tokay Lite, an open-source ESP32-S3 camera board that runs detection on the board. Status
  2. Where can I buy it? Single boards are on CrowdSupply at $102 and on Mouser as part TOKAY-LITE-01. Sales
  3. Did the mountable enclosure ship? Yes, an enclosure is available, and the camera is rated from −40 °C to +50 °C. Enclosure
  4. Is the survey still open? No; send feature requests and use cases to [email protected] instead. Feedback
  • $102for a single board on CrowdSupply
  • 8 MBof PSRAM for frames and model weights
  • 10 mof IR night-vision range from the LEDs on the board
  • 6 monthsper charge for the solar roof camera built on this platform

What became of the 2023 edge AI camera plans?

All three plans in the original update went ahead, and the camera got a name. The diagram puts each plan next to where it stands now.

Tokay Lite: what was planned in February 2023 and where each item stands in October 2026Name: planned "Edge AI Camera" (an ESP32 camera in development); today Tokay Lite (ESP32-S3, open hardware and SDK on GitHub); Sales: planned Crowd Supply campaign (announced, not yet launched); today CrowdSupply and Mouser ($102 on CrowdSupply, Mouser part TOKAY-LITE-01); Enclosure: planned Optional mountable case (planned for home automation); today Enclosure available (camera rated −40 to +50 °C); Feedback: planned Google Forms survey (how people plan to use it); today Settings on the camera's web page (detection, wake rules, HTTP or MQTT).PLANNED, FEBRUARY 2023TODAY, OCTOBER 2026Name"Edge AI Camera"an ESP32 camera in developmentTokay LiteESP32-S3, open hardware and SDK on GitHubSalesCrowd Supply campaignannounced, not yet launchedCrowdSupply and Mouser$102 on CrowdSupply, Mouser part TOKAY-LITE-01EnclosureOptional mountable caseplanned for home automationEnclosure availablecamera rated −40 to +50 °CFeedbackGoogle Forms surveyhow people plan to use itSettings on the camera's web pagedetection, wake rules, HTTP or MQTT
Left: the plans in our February 2023 update. Right: the status on the Tokay Lite page in October 2026.

What did the February 2023 update say?

The design was finished, people were subscribing and asking questions, and we had three next steps. Each card keeps the original plan and adds what happened.

Crowd Supply campaign

Planned: once the design was final, we chose a crowdfunding campaign on Crowd Supply to bring the camera to the maker community.

Now: Tokay Lite is a regular product on CrowdSupply, where it lists at $102, and on Mouser as part TOKAY-LITE-01.

  • CrowdSupply
  • Mouser

Mountable enclosure

Planned: an optional enclosure so the camera could be mounted for home automation projects.

Now: an enclosure is available, and the camera is rated from −40 °C to +50 °C. For volume orders we design custom enclosures.

  • Enclosure
  • −40 to +50 °C

Have your say

Planned: a Google Forms survey on how people meant to use the camera, to shape the product.

Now: the survey is closed. Detection, wake rules and the HTTP or MQTT integration are set on the camera's own web page. Send feature requests to [email protected].

  • Web configuration
  • HTTP, MQTT

What is the edge AI camera now?

Tokay Lite is an ESP32-S3 camera board for devices that run on a battery or a solar panel. A PIR motion sensor or the real-time clock wakes it, the OV2640 takes a picture, and the board runs face or object detection itself before it sends the result and goes back to sleep.

It ships with a face-detection model that runs at 1–10 frames per second. You can load your own TensorFlow Lite Micro or esp-dl model, or train one in Edge Impulse. The schematic and layout are on GitHub under CERN-OHL-P-2.0, and the SDK under Apache 2.0.

For what the board does and where edge AI is used, read edge AI camera features and applications. If you are choosing between boards, see ESP32-CAM vs Tokay Lite.

Tokay Lite enclosure for the ESP32 camera, shown open with the board inside
The enclosure from the 2023 update, now available for Tokay Lite.

Where this applies at Maxlab

The camera in this update is Tokay Lite, which we sell as a development board. For jobs that need Linux, several sensors at once or more compute, we build on Tokay Pro, supplied by quote.

The same platform went into a client product: the solar roof camera on our work page shipped 9,500 units and runs about six months per charge. If you need a camera of your own built on it, with a different sensor, enclosure or firmware, that is our hardware and firmware service.

Single boards
CrowdSupply ($102) and Mouser TOKAY-LITE-01
Open source
CERN-OHL-P-2.0 hardware, Apache 2.0 SDK
Shipped on this platform
9,500 solar roof cameras
Volume and variants
By quote: other sensor, enclosure, your firmware
Tokay Lite edge AI camera board with its camera module, IR LEDs and PIR sensor

Get a Tokay Lite, or a camera built on it

Buy a single board to try the idea, or tell us the quantity, the sensor and how the device is powered. We reply within 24 hours.

See Tokay Lite
Tell us about your project

Or email [email protected] or book a 30-minute call.

Common questions

Is the Tokay Lite Crowd Supply campaign still running?

The campaign is over and Tokay Lite is now a regular listing. CrowdSupply sells single boards at $102 and ships within three business days; Mouser stocks it as part TOKAY-LITE-01.

Is the Edge AI Camera the same product as Tokay Lite?

Yes. The ESP32 camera we called the Edge AI Camera in 2023 is sold as Tokay Lite, and the old /store/edge-ai-camera/ address now opens the Tokay Lite page.

What AI model does the camera run out of the box?

It ships with face detection, which runs at 1–10 frames per second on the ESP32-S3 depending on resolution and settings. You can replace it with your own TensorFlow Lite Micro or esp-dl model, or one trained in Edge Impulse.

Can I use the camera for home automation?

Yes. The camera sends detections or pictures to any HTTP endpoint or MQTT broker, and Home Assistant picks them up through its MQTT integration. The enclosure from the 2023 update is available for mounting it.

Is an ESP32 camera good enough for AI?

For detection on a battery, yes: the ESP32-S3 has vector instructions for neural networks, and 8 MB of PSRAM holds the frame and the model. For several objects at once, Linux or 4K video, use an application processor such as the i.MX 8M Plus in Tokay Pro. The ESP32-CAM vs Tokay Lite page compares it with the common ESP32-CAM board.

Where do I follow Tokay Lite updates now?

The firmware and SDK live at github.com/maxlab-io/tokay-lite-sdk, the schematic and layout at github.com/maxlab-io/tokay-lite-pcb, and the setup guide at docs.maxlab.io. Questions and feature requests go to [email protected].