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Sep 12

Motorcycle Vibrations Can Damage iPhone cameras as per Apple

By General Posts

by Kim Lyons from https://www.theverge.com

by Edward Moyer from https://www.cnet.com

From Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212803

Motorcycle vibrations can degrade iPhone camera performance, Apple says

High amplitude vibrations can cause problems for the cameras’ gyroscopes

A new post on Apple’s Support forum https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212803 says exposing iPhones to high-amplitude vibrations, “specifically those generated by high-power motorcycle engines” could degrade the devices’ camera system. The company recommends against mounting an iPhone on a motorcycle, as the vibrations may be transmitted via the bike’s handlebars and chassis.

Here’s the technical explanation from Apple:

If you accidentally move a camera when you take a picture, the resulting image can be blurry. To prevent this, some iPhone models have optical image stabilization (OIS).1 OIS lets you take sharp photos even if you accidentally move the camera. With OIS, a gyroscope senses that the camera moved. To reduce image motion, and the resulting blur, the lens moves according to the angle of the gyroscope.

Additionally, some iPhone models have closed-loop autofocus (AF).2 Closed-loop AF resists the effects of gravity and vibration to preserve sharp focus in stills, videos, and panoramas. With closed-loop AF, on-board magnetic sensors measure gravity and vibration effects and determine the lens position so that the compensating motion can be set accurately.

The OIS and closed-loop AF systems in iPhone are designed for durability. However, as is the case with many consumer electronics that include systems like OIS, long-term direct exposure to high-amplitude vibrations within certain frequency ranges may degrade the performance of these systems and lead to reduced image quality for photos and videos. It is recommended to avoid exposing your iPhone to extended high-amplitude vibrations.

The iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and all iPhones since the iPhone 7 have both optical image stabilization and closed-loop autofocus (as noted by MacRumors, the first outlet to spot the Apple support post). Both features are also vulnerable to magnetic interference from some iPhone accessories, Apple warned earlier this year, but removing the accessories should take care of that issue.

Additionally in the new post, Apple says if you’re planning to mount your iPhone to a scooter or a moped, it recommends using a vibration-dampening mount to lessen the risk to the phone and its camera system. And avoiding prolonged regular use of an iPhone mounted to a vehicle that produces lower-amplitude vibrations is also a good idea.

Apple says iPhone cameras can be hurt by motorcycle vibrations

High-power or high-volume motorcycle engines produce potentially damaging high-amplitude vibrations, so the company says don’t attach your phone to your hawg.

If you’ve been rockin’ down the highway with an iPhone mounted on your motorcycle, you might want to think again. On Friday, Apple said certain motorcycle engines can give your iPhone’s camera bad vibes.

“Exposing your iPhone to high amplitude vibrations within certain frequency ranges, specifically those generated by high-power motorcycle engines, can degrade the performance of the camera system,” the company said in a post on its support site.

The vibes are channeled through the chassis and handlebars, so you shouldn’t attach your phone to motorcycles with high-power or high-volume engines, the company said. It said mopeds and scooters, which tend to have small-volume or electric engines, are less of a concern but that you should use a vibration dampening mount and “avoid regular use for prolonged periods.”

The problem has to do with high-tech gyroscope- and magnet-based camera systems designed to compensate for shaky shots. Such systems, like optical image stabilization and closed-loop autofocus, make automatic adjustments if you accidentally move while taking a picture.

“The OIS and closed-loop AF systems in iPhone are designed for durability,” Apple said. But “long-term direct exposure to high-amplitude vibrations … may degrade the performance of these systems and lead to reduced image quality for photos and videos.”

For details on which iPhone models feature these camera systems, you can check out Apple’s post.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212803

 

Jun 10

Harley-Davidson’s gyroscope patent app would help new riders not drop their bikes

By General Posts

by Kyle Hyatt from https://www.cnet.com

The system would fit inside a top case and be easily removable from the motorcycle.

So, the thing is about motorcycles is that even the light ones are real damned heavy and that means that keeping one upright — particularly as a new rider — can not only be tough, it’s also intimidating.

Harley-Davidson — makers of definitely-not-lightweight motorcycles — believes that it has a solution to this and it’s kind of ingenious. According to Cycle World, Harley filed a patent application for a type of gyroscope that would work at very low speeds to keep the bike upright and make the bike a little easier to sling up when dropped.

The best part is that this whole gyroscope deal is designed to fit inside Harley’s already-existing top case, so you don’t need to build it into the motorcycle — something that would drive up cost and complexity — and which also means you can remove it once you feel more comfortable with your motorcycle.

Like all gyroscopes, this one works by using an electric motor to spin a heavy weight around really fast (like between 10,000 and 20,000 rpm), and that motion imparts a stabilizing effect on the motorcycle at low speeds. The gyro would shut off at speeds over three miles per hour because as you begin moving faster, the motorcycle’s wheels start to offer their own gyroscopic stabilizing effect.

Also cool is that this wouldn’t necessarily be limited to one bike. As long as you had a power source and a way for the unit to detect vehicle speed, it would work. Now, precisely what something like this would retail for is hard to say, but if it’s coming from Harley, we expect that it wouldn’t be especially cheap, if it ever comes to market.