Renesas Electronics and AI optimisation specialist Nota AI are collaborating to develop an optimised Driver Monitoring System (DMS) on Renesas’ newly launched RA8P1 MCU (Microcontroller Unit).

By enabling AI to run efficiently on such compact processors, the collaboration aims to bring scalable, real-time driver behaviour analysis to embedded size and power-constrained automotive environments.

The RA8P1 features Arm Cortex-M85 and Cortex-M33 cores along with the Arm Ethos-U55 NPU, enabling high-performance AI in a small footprint. Nota AI’s DMS solution, optimised for RA8P1, achieves approximately 50 frames per second (FPS)—a significant benchmark for real-time monitoring.

Powered by NetsPresso, Nota AI’s proprietary AI model optimisation platform, the company delivers lightweight, deployment-ready models for a broad range of Renesas hardware. In addition to the RA8P1, Nota AI provides optimised AI solutions for the RA8D1 MCU and RZ/V series microprocessors (MPUs), including the RZ/V2M, RZ/V2L, and RZ/V2H.

Key applications such as People Detection, Line Crossing People Counting, and DMS have been successfully implemented on RZ/V devices, demonstrating their readiness for real-world deployment.

“Our collaboration with Renesas integrates their advanced hardware expertise with our optimised AI technologies, unlocking new possibilities for embedded AI solutions,” said Myungsu Chae, CEO of Nota AI. “We look forward to further strengthening this collaboration, accelerating innovation, and driving widespread adoption of efficient, real-time AI in resource-constrained environments.”

“Working closely with Nota AI demonstrates the RA8P1’s potential to support advanced AI at the edge,” said Kaushal Vora, Senior Director of Core Technologies & Ecosystem Enablement of Renesas. “Together, we’re enabling smarter, more efficient solutions across key industries.”