diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index f4d4663..6b7778b 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ packages = find:
 install_requires =
     PyYAML>=5.3.1
     pyserial>=3.4
+    numpy>=1.19.4
 
 [options.entry_points]
 console_scripts =
diff --git a/simple_rpc/io.py b/simple_rpc/io.py
index 9718a7b..fcd4a52 100644
--- a/simple_rpc/io.py
+++ b/simple_rpc/io.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import numpy as np
 from typing import Any, BinaryIO
 from struct import calcsize, pack, unpack
 
@@ -43,9 +44,12 @@ def _write_basic(
     if basic_type == 's':
         stream.write(value + b'\0')
         return
+    
+    elif isinstance(value, np.ndarray):
+        stream.write(value.tobytes())
+        return
 
     full_type = (endianness + basic_type).encode('utf-8')
-
     stream.write(pack(full_type, cast(basic_type)(value)))
 
 
@@ -82,9 +86,15 @@ def read(
         return [
             read(stream, endianness, size_t, item) for _ in range(length)
             for item in obj_type]
+    
     if isinstance(obj_type, tuple):
         return tuple(
             read(stream, endianness, size_t, item) for item in obj_type)
+    
+    if isinstance(obj_type, np.ndarray):
+        length = _read_basic(stream, endianness, size_t)
+        return np.frombuffer(
+            stream.read(length * obj_type.itemsize), obj_type.dtype)
     return _read_basic(stream, endianness, obj_type)
 
 
@@ -104,14 +114,21 @@ def write(
     :arg obj: Object of type {obj_type}.
     """
     if isinstance(obj_type, list):
+        # print(f" size_t: {size_t}, len:{len(obj) // len(obj_type)}")
         _write_basic(stream, endianness, size_t, len(obj) // len(obj_type))
-    if isinstance(obj_type, list) or isinstance(obj_type, tuple):
+    if isinstance(obj_type, np.ndarray):
+        # print(f"writing array: {size_t}, {obj.size}, {obj.dtype}, obj_tpye: {obj_type}")
+        _write_basic(stream, endianness, size_t, obj.size)
+        _write_basic(stream, endianness, obj_type, obj)
+    elif isinstance(obj_type, list) or isinstance(obj_type, tuple):
         for item_type, item in zip(obj_type * len(obj), obj):
             write(stream, endianness, size_t, item_type, item)
     else:
         _write_basic(stream, endianness, obj_type, obj)
 
 
+
+
 def until(
         condition: callable, f: callable, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
     """Call {f(*args, **kwargs)} until {condition} is true.
diff --git a/simple_rpc/protocol.py b/simple_rpc/protocol.py
index 30ed264..e368cff 100644
--- a/simple_rpc/protocol.py
+++ b/simple_rpc/protocol.py
@@ -1,7 +1,25 @@
+import numpy as np
+
 from typing import Any, BinaryIO
 
 from .io import cast, read_byte_string
 
+dtype_map = {
+    'b': np.int8,
+    'B': np.uint8,
+    'h': np.int16,
+    'H': np.uint16,
+    'i': np.int32,
+    'I': np.uint32,
+    'l': np.int32,
+    'L': np.uint32,
+    'q': np.int64,
+    'Q': np.uint64,
+    'f': np.float32,
+    'd': np.float64,
+    '?': np.bool_,
+    'c': np.byte  # Note: 'c' in struct is a single byte; for strings, consider np.bytes_ or np.chararray.
+}
 
 def _parse_type(type_str: bytes) -> Any:
     """Parse a type definition string.
@@ -18,7 +36,12 @@ def _construct_type(tokens: tuple):
                 obj_type.append(_construct_type(tokens))
             elif token == b'(':
                 obj_type.append(tuple(_construct_type(tokens)))
-            elif token in (b')', b']'):
+            elif token == b'{':
+                t = _construct_type(tokens)
+                assert len(t) == 1, 'only atomic types allowed in np arrays'
+                dtype = _get_dtype(t[0])
+                obj_type.append(np.ndarray(dtype=dtype, shape=(1, 1)))
+            elif token in (b')', b']', b'}'):
                 break
             else:
                 obj_type.append(token.decode())
@@ -33,6 +56,15 @@ def _construct_type(tokens: tuple):
         return ''
     return obj_type[0]
 
+def _get_dtype(type_str: bytes) -> Any:
+    """Get the NumPy data type of a type definition string.
+
+    :arg type_str: Type definition string.
+
+    :returns: NumPy data type.
+    """
+    return dtype_map.get(type_str, np.byte)
+
 
 def _type_name(obj_type: Any) -> str:
     """Python type name of a C object type.
@@ -41,6 +73,8 @@ def _type_name(obj_type: Any) -> str:
 
     :returns: Python type name.
     """
+    if isinstance(obj_type, np.ndarray):
+        return '{' + ', '.join([_type_name(item) for item in obj_type]) + '}'
     if not obj_type:
         return ''
     if isinstance(obj_type, list):
diff --git a/simple_rpc/simple_rpc.py b/simple_rpc/simple_rpc.py
index e42a7d3..56905de 100644
--- a/simple_rpc/simple_rpc.py
+++ b/simple_rpc/simple_rpc.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+
+import numpy as np
+
 from functools import wraps
 from time import sleep
 from types import MethodType
@@ -184,7 +187,7 @@ def call_method(self: object, name: str, *args: Any) -> Any:
                 self._write(parameter['fmt'], args[index])
 
         # Read return value (if any).
-        if method['return']['fmt']:
+        if method['return']['fmt'] or isinstance(method['return']['fmt'], np.ndarray):
             return self._read(method['return']['fmt'])
         return None