Wearable cameras allow users to witness exciting events that they would not otherwise be able to attend. Despite experiencing a live concert with these devices, these cameras cannot perform high-definition video streaming.
Engineers at the University of Washington have created a prototype HD video streaming method that is not plugged in and uses much less power, according to UW News.
This prototype technology uses a technique called backscatter, of which a device shares information by reflecting transmitted signals. Essentially, backscatter is a way to send a signal that requires less power, because what is actually transmitting the power is not the device transmitting the data.
UW Researchers developed a system where pixels in the camera connect to an antenna that sends intensity values through backscatter to a nearby smartphone. Normally, a small streaming camera would have size and weight restrictions, but a smartphone has the capacity to process this video. To transmit the video, the system deciphers the pixel information into a series of pulses, where the width of each pulse indicates the value of the pixel. The duration of the pulse is relative to the brightness of the pixel.
“The fundamental assumption people have made so far is that backscatter can be used only for low-data rate sensors such as temperature sensors,” says co-author Shyam Gollakota, an associate professor in the UW’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, according to UW News. “This work breaks that assumption and shows that backscatter can indeed support even full HD video.”
The researchers tested their prototype by converting HD YouTube videos into raw pixel data. Using the backscatter system, their wearable could stream 720p HD videos at 10 frames per second for a device that was up to 14 feet away.
“That’s like a camera recording a scene and sending the video to a device in the next room,” says co-author and computer science and engineering doctoral student Mehrdad Hessar, according to UW News.
Their prototype uses 1,000 to 10,000 times less power than current market streaming devices. Currently, the prototype uses a small battery to support constant use. Eventually, the researchers would like to create wireless video cameras that are completely battery-free.
Additionally, they have created a low-resolution, low-power security camera that streams at 13 frames per second. At-home security cameras normally have to be plugged in at all times, while their new device cuts out cords for wireless streaming cameras.
Eventually, the researchers hope these cameras become smart enough to turn on for specific purposes, ultimately saving more energy. Gollakota said cameras are imperative for Internet-connected applications, but they are constantly limited by power sources.
“Just imagine you go to a football game five years from now,” says co-author Joshua Smith, a professor in the Allen School and the UW Department of Electrical Engineering, according to UW News. “There could be tiny HD cameras everywhere recording the action: stuck on players’ helmets, everywhere across the stadium. And you don’t have to ever worry about changing their batteries.”
To see their prototype wearable camera in action click here.
Feature Photo Credit: The University of Washington engineers behind the low-power, HD video-streaming system. From left to right: Shyam Gollakota, Saman Naderiparizi, Mehrdad Hessar, Joshua Smith.Dennis Wise/University of Washington
