At MWC 2016, OPPO released its new SmartSensor image stabilization technology. As the first sensor-based image stabilizer in the industry, it is also the smallest image stabilizer in the world!

The OPPO SmartSensor image stabilizer senses and calculates vibrations on the pitch axis, yaw axis and roll axis, making split-second compensations through the use of a comb-shaped, voltage-driven MEMS (microelectromechanical system). Within milliseconds, three-axis anti-shake compensation can be achieved.

Image stabilization technology can be divided into optical image stabilization and digital image stabilization solutions. Like digital zoom, digital image stabilization is actually a post-processing of collected data which attempts to strike a balance between picture quality and stabilization. This approach addresses the symptom rather than the root of the problem, resulting in an unavoidable loss in image quality.

I n professional cameras, optical image stabilization technology can be either lens-based or sensor-based. Due to the small size of smartphone camera modules, all previous IS solutions for smartphones have been lens-based. Moreover, only selected flagship models from leading brands, such as the iPhone 6s Plus, Samsung S6 Edge, and LG G4, are likely to feature this technology.

Through the use of a gyroscope, this lens-based technology senses vibration on two axes, pitch and yaw, and uses a motor to shift the lens to compensate for movements on these axes. Ninety percent of the products using lens-based IS rely on a voice coil motor (VCM), which has certain drawbacks addressed in the next section.

With its new SmartSensor technology, OPPO has pioneered a sensor-based image stabilizer for smartphones, upgrading smartphone IS functionality from two axes of movement to three.