STMicroelectronics is bringing always-on vision to the next generation of battery-powered personal electronics with its new VD55G4 and VD65G4 ultra-low-power global-shutter image sensors.
These compact, microcontroller-compatible sensors are part of the ST BrightSense portfolio and consume up to 10x less power than typical global-shutter devices at around 800×700 resolution and 10 fps, while still delivering high?quality imaging for wearables, AR/VR, and smart devices.
Described as a new generation of ultra-low-power, always-on imaging, VD55G4 (monochrome) and VD65G4 (RGB) are aimed at compact, battery or energy-harvesting-driven products that demand rich visual context and AI-ready data, without blowing through power, size, or cost budgets.
The sensors marry a detect-and-wake architecture with a tiny global-shutter optical format and interfaces tailored for low-power MCUs and cost?effective SoCs, making them a natural fit for edge-vision systems in personal electronics.
From wearables and AR/VR to smart appliances
VD55G4 and VD65G4 are built for designs that must stay small, light, and extremely power-efficient. They extend the ST BrightSense family by adding a color option, faster response for interactive use cases, and simple hooks into low-power microcontrollers, easing the path to adding vision in space and cost-constrained products.
In wearables, they make it feasible to run all-day, always-aware functions like glance detection, presence sensing, and contextual alerts while fitting into compact form factors and working directly with MCU-based platforms.
For AR/VR and XR headsets, the sensors balance low power with high-quality capture to support accurate tracking and spatial awareness, helping extend battery life without sacrificing user comfort or immersion.
In smart home appliances, IoT devices, and medical devices, the sensors enable more intelligence to run locally, cutting down on cloud reliance and idle-mode power. Their tiny size and efficiency also make them ideal for solar or energy-harvesting-powered vision nodes embedded into everyday environments.
Power-efficient architecture that watches and wakes
The key innovation is the ultralow-power always-on mode. Thanks to an optimized sensor architecture and a dedicated waking-state design, VD55G4 and VD65G4 can consume up to 10x less power than conventional global-shutter image sensors .
They continuously monitor the scene, but only wake the main processor when something actually changes turning continuous video streams into event?driven vision.
That shift is what makes all-day, always-on experiences, longer battery life, and practical low-power vision systems possible, even with small cells or harvested energy.
Their small footprint and integrated image processing also simplify the bill of materials and reduce system-level cost, while still supporting responsive, AI-ready vision in a broad range of edge devices.
Growing ecosystem for faster design starts
VD55G4 and VD65G4 are manufactured on 300 mm wafers using a 3D-stacked 65 nm / 40 nm process at ST’s Crolles plant, aligning performance with advanced volume manufacturing. ST is also rolling out a full companion ecosystem to speed up design and prototyping.
This includes:
- Development boards for platforms such as STM32 and Raspberry Pi
- Turnkey camera modules
- Evaluation software and platform drivers
- A software development kit (SDK) to accelerate embedded vision projects
Leadership Comment
Alexandre Balmefrezol, EVP and General Manager of Imaging Sub?Group at STMicroelectronics, put it this way:
“Always-on vision is becoming essential for the next generation of personal electronics, from smart glasses and AR/VR headsets to intelligent home appliances and medical devices. With VD55G4 and VD65G4, we are bringing this capability to smaller, lighter products that must run for a long time on a tiny battery. These new sensors help our customers create more intuitive and responsive experiences, extend battery life, and bring embedded vision and edge AI into everyday devices.”
Pricing and samples for the sensors are available through STMicroelectronics sales offices, and more on the ST BrightSense portfolio can be found at www.st.com/industrial-consumer-cmos-image-sensors.
