2024-09-20
In recent years, as IoT technology has rapidly evolved, smart home devices have seamlessly integrated into everyday life. Popular smart gadgets like video doorbells and home cameras are typically wireless and battery-powered, gaining popularity due to their compact size, wire-free setup, easy installation, and WiFi connectivity. According to a Yole forecast, shipments of these devices are expected to reach 190 million units by 2028. However, there's one big challenge—battery life. Most rely on lithium or dry cell batteries, which need regular charging or replacing. As a result, designing camera systems that are both powerful and energy-efficient is more important than ever.
How Do Battery-Powered Cameras Save Energy?
To cut power consumption, high-end smartphones use clever features like "raise to wake" or "look to wake" that activate the screen only when needed. Could similar low-power designs work for battery-powered cameras? Absolutely! Most wireless cameras already have energy-saving modes, typically using Passive Infrared (PIR) sensors to trigger the system. PIR sensors detect motion—when someone enters the detection zone, the camera wakes up and starts recording; when the zone is empty, the camera goes back to sleep. This smart power-saving mode significantly reduces energy use, extending the camera's battery life.
Quick Start: The Game-Changer for Battery-Powered Cameras
Traditional low-power cameras consist of several key components, including an image sensor (CIS), a central SoC chip, and a PIR sensor. When the system is triggered, the CIS captures the ambient light level, and the SoC adjusts the image for the best quality. But there's a problem: even in normal lighting, this process takes about 250 milliseconds or more. So, when something moves quickly in front of the camera, the delay might result in missing the action.
To solve this, advanced CMOS sensor provider SmartSens has introduced SmartAEC™ technology, designed for low-power IoT devices. This tech allows the camera to wake up almost instantly, while consuming very little power.
1. Instant Wake-Up
With ultra-fast startup speeds, SmartAEC™-enabled cameras can wake up from sleep mode in less than 40 milliseconds in normal lighting conditions, and 60 milliseconds in extreme lighting conditions. That’s a 60-67% improvement compared to traditional sensors! This ensures the camera captures clear footage from the very first frame.
2. Ultra-Low Power Consumption
In addition to being fast, SmartAEC™ also uses very little power. During operation, the power consumption is below 60mW, cutting energy use by over 85% compared to traditional sensors. In standby mode, it consumes as little as 10μW, ensuring longer battery life.
3. Cost Efficiency
SmartAEC™-enabled cameras are also cost-effective. The design eliminates the need for a traditional light sensor, saving both money and power. Plus, the pairing of SmartAEC™ sensors with low-power SoC chips results in a more affordable and energy-efficient solution compared to other options on the market.
SmartAEC™ even supports 24/7 recording with an "always-on" video (AOV) mode, which records at just 1 frame per second when no events are detected, then instantly switches to full-speed recording when motion is detected. This makes it ideal not only for video doorbells, dashcams, and hunting cameras but also for solar-powered or remote cameras that face power shortages due to bad weather.
The Future of IoT Cameras
As a leader in smart imaging technology, SmartSens has been a key player in the rise of IoT. Their IoT Series image sensors, which boast features like SmartAEC™, low power consumption, built-in HDR, high sensitivity, and excellent noise control, have earned widespread praise from customers. With production in full swing for 3MP to 4MP models and the release of new 5MP sensors, SmartSens is well-positioned to drive the IoT industry forward.
The era of connected devices is just around the corner. SmartSens is committed to developing more high-performance IoT products, bringing new energy and innovation to the industry.
