Case Study
Four steps to better video stabilisation
As more mobile camera products come to market, properly integrated video stabilisation technology can address every possible use case, says Johan Svensson, CTO, IMINT Image Intelligence
Y
ou are tasked with incorporating camera
technology into a highly mobile product, such as a drone, a body camera, or one of a
new breed of sports and action cameras. You are well aware that users of such cameras have stringent requirements. Not only should the picture be clear and well defined, but the video also needs to be stable. And that can be a challenge: When cameras are in constant motion, they can suffer from motion blur and a severe case of the shakes. You need to incorporate video stabilization technology into your product. Innovations in video stabilization technology have been driven largely by the smartphone industry. Today’s advanced video stabilization software runs in the background of most leading smartphones,
30 December/January 2021
capitalizing on multiple integrated cameras to create smooth, sharp, and stable video. The same stabilization technology can work for other mobile camera platforms, provided it’s planned for in the product development process. When you decide to integrate video stabilization software into your camera-based product, be sure to consider the following:
1. Choose the right hardware To effectively perform video stabilization in a mobile camera product, your hardware needs to be up to the task. It can be difficult to change hardware decisions later in the production process, so you want to ensure early on that certain hardware components meet your software requirements. For example, consider whether your product needs to offer users real-time video
Components in Electronics
processing or whether post-processing video will suffice. If your device is designed to provide a real-time video stream, your video stabilization must also happen in real-time, meaning the device needs a processor capable of keeping up. In general, if your design calls for real-time, on-device video processing, you need a processor capable of operating at a full 30 frames per second. In addition to choosing the right processor, consider these other hardware element and scenarios: • Connectivity. If you opt for a solution that does post processing, you may need a high-speed chipset for transmitting large amounts of video data. These days, that may mean 5G.
• Battery. Make sure the device’s battery is powerful enough to process video
and support new artificial intelligence- powered features without draining too quickly. This is especially important for cameras that may need to be untether for long stretches of time, as in surveillance drones.
• Camera module. You’ll want to match your use case to your camera module. Do you need a wide-angle lens? A zoom? How much zoom? These choices will affect how you calibrate your video stabilization software. And if you’re careful to test and compensate for each lens in the calibration phase, you may be able to choose relatively cheaper camera modules.
• Image sensors. In terms of video stabilization, consider the need for smooth transitions if you plan to use multiple image sensors. Cheap image
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