AI stabilization (AIS) from huawei – A Gimble killer?

Can AI stabilization aka AIS be the future of stability in smartphones? lets find out.

Recently huawei dropped another flagship P30 pro with DXO score of 112 overall. I will call it as a camera centric launch.

Curious about new camera tech in smartphones, and you don’t want to miss out new features, well you can get all the new smartphone camera tech explanations and news updates on below link Future Camera Tech

Traditonal OIS and EIS stablization systems

Read this one- 5x optical zoom, 10x Hybrid zoom and 50 digital zoom, this is insane and huawei went too ahead in zooming race.

With larger zoom more vibrations comes into picture, and when the zoom is 50x you need something else than the traditional OIS.

No doubt OIS is great but not always. Pixel also went with OIS and EIS combination, because with EIS there is more room for stablization, specially panning or bumping.

You can’t avoid walking wobble with OIS hence EIS came into picture. You all know how EIS works. It countermoves by cropping the frame, OIS countermoves camera hardware to compensate the shake. Both systems provides class leading stabilization.

Now question arises, despite having these greate systems why we need Artificial intelligence stabilization?

Why AI stabilization?

Let me tell you a truth, world is shifting to AI isn’t it? Cameras using scene detection, fingerprint scanner, browsing behavior, apps used by us, at every place AI is adapting to our habits by continuous learning and giving best behavior of system.

Nowadays smartphones are shipping with AI chips with extra processing power. They are dedicated to adapt us and continuously improve for better results.

AI stabilization takes the benefit from AI chip. Remember this is an added processing advantage over traditional stabilization(OIS and EIS) setup.

At one place EIS works on hardcoded logic with constant algorithm, AI stabilization will continuously perform minute changes in algorithm and image processing. This will help in reduce in blurriness at each zooming level.

AI stabilization: A true system or a gimmick or EIS alternate?

When Samsung says its an live focus to Apple’s portrait mode, ‘U’ type display to their version of notch, doing the same thing with different name. Can’t be AI the same stabilization system of Electronic stabilization? Don’t you think AI and Electronic image stabilization can be a same thing. Comment below

Well as per me AI is the modified EIS system which utilizes AI chip’s processing power. Both are nothing but peice of software manipulating image data, but AI can do that job better due to its dynamic behavior.

So yes theoretically AI stabilization can be a better option than EIS, or I will name is as a Dynamic Electronic Image Stabilization (DEIS).

AI stabilization at different zoom levels

If you are standing at one position OIS provides the master class stabilization. At 1x scene tend to be too wide to visualize the shakiness with OIS.

Watch out zooming comparison for huawei P30 pro, also pay attention to stabilization as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-RPyb_gz8Q

AI stabilization at 10x hybrid zoom.

With P30 pro, huawei went crazy with zooming department, same goes for stabilization as well.

On 10x hybrid zoom, AIS work pretty much in standard way. Compensating the hand movement and adapting the future movement and keeping the data for current movement. Combining all these a 3d space is created which calculates the countermoves and adjusts the frame within.

AI stabilization at 50x

From the sample videos what we have learned that even on 50x the masterclass performance of AIS added with OIS gives a vibration free output.

Now I think here the AI might learn the vibration types and the stability level of the person who is holding the camera, from that it can give the desired results.

Not sure that for improving AI stabilization capabilities shakiness or movement data is shared from the devices, only to make the stabilization better. It is just a guess, not 100% true.

AI Stabilization benefits in Night photography

Hey look, Let me tell you one fact about non image stabilized lenses in dslr.

Even with cannon 50MM 1.8 at 1sec exposure image looks so blurry if zoomed 50%.

What is the reason?

It is due to large exposure time. DSLR’s are not blessed with the modern high performing CPU’s and flexible information processing units like smartphones.

Don’t you wonder how HDR looks awesome in pixel 2 or Apple XS max out of the box. But there is not such luxury with DSLRs.

Same goes to stabilization but when it is night time it becomes very difficult to get a reference data in low light to perform the stabilization.

AI stabilization is so effective that even for 6 seconds we can hold the hand and final output will be crisper, that to the data processing and the dedicated AI chips.

AIS vs OIS VS EIS

As far as the competition is considered, OIS is the best way of stabilizing the footage, but one larger bumbs OIS won’t be able to compensate the shakes.

EIS is the cheap OIS but cropping the image is downside of this system but if well implemented then can be great. Although Jitter is always there between the frames.

AIS tend to resolve all those issues with OIS and EIS, I mean the jitter free frames, less motion blur aka adaptive motion blur, adapting the situation and performing stabilization, if more bumpy more cropping with high frame rates, or as plain areas controlling the CPU usage with less processing performing minute stabilization.

The possibilities with AI stabilization is countless, we have to see how companies will implement these tech and deliver to us.

So, this was the analysis of AI stabilization huawei p series centered. In future I wish more companies should put effort to implement this artificial intelligence stabilization system to kill the gimbles.