Pictar iPhone camera grip uses sound to talk to its app (and save on battery life)

How much of what makes a great smartphone camera great is in the image sensor itself, and how much in the interface? We've seen plenty of improvements on the software side of things over the years, but maybe some of the most interesting interface advancements have come in the form of extra hardware, making photo-taking with a smartphone feel a lot closer to how we'd interact with a dedicated camera. That's included camera grips like the one for the old Lumia 1020, or LG's new CAM Plus for the G5. Now we're checking out a crowdfundung effort looking to bring a similar product to the iPhone family, and one that uses some interesting tech to do so.

The Pictar grip fits iPhone models from the iPhone 4 through the modern 6s (but not Plus editions), adding a dual-stage shutter button, zoom ring, exposure wheel, another software-definable wheel, and mount points for cold-shoe accessories and tripods.

What's really interesting, though, is the way the Pictar communicates with the iPhone. It doesn't use the phone's data port (avoiding issues with 30-pin/Lightning compatibility for older iPhones), nor does it use Bluetooth (which developer say would be a bit of a power-drain). Instead, every time you turn one of the Pictar's control rings, or press that shutter button, the grip emits a coded burst of high-frequency tones that are received by an app on the phone – all communication is done via ultrasound.

The "dual-tone" system the developers describe sounds a lot like the way touch-tone signals are generated on a telephone keypad, and by going this route the Pictar grip should be able to get four to six months of operation out of a single battery. Because there's no active connection to maintain with your phone, when you're not pressing any buttons or turning knobs, Pictar doesn't consume any power at all.

Crowdfunding for Pictar is currently open on Kickstarter, and while the early-bird pricing is gone, you can still get yourself a camera grip by funding the project at the $75 level. Units should start shipping this November.

Source: Pictar (Kickstarter)Via: BGR

Source: Pictar iPhone camera grip uses sound to talk to its app (and save on battery life)