Mini stabilizer eases the UAV video shakes
ProductFebruary 21, 2012
Alice Moss
Military Embedded Systems
Two things often come to mind when the topic of image/video stabilization arises: 1) the on-target yet ever-moving video streams taken by UAVs dotting the skies; and 2) 6U VME. If you've ever seen UAV footage, you know the picture can vibrate constantly.
Two things often come to mind when the topic of image/video stabilization arises: 1) the on-target yet ever-moving video streams taken by UAVs dotting the skies; and 2) 6U VME. If you’ve ever seen UAV footage, you know the picture can vibrate constantly. (Hey, it’s not like UAVs never encounter turbulence or other environmental conditions that might cause them to shake a bit.) And then there’s image stabilizer size: Though 6U VME has been a mainstay in the world of video tracking, smaller wares such as GE Intelligent Platforms’ MIP3ES miniature image stabilizer are much more Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) savvy. Indeed, measuring a mere 24 mm x 34 mm (pretty small, considering there are 25.4 mm in an inch), the microprocessor-sized stabilizer consumes only about 1.5 W while delivering real-time, high-performance video stabilization in COTS style.
Working as a stand-alone unit, the MIP3ES offers designers board-locale flexibility. Fully ruggedized, it also features composite video output and input, in addition to an RS-232 TTL serial port. The company says setup for the stabilizer – ideal for man-portable devices, video gimbals, and, as mentioned, UAVs – is easy. We’ll have to take their word for it for now.
