Sound camera that is developed by a South Korean company is receiving attention globally because demands for devices that can measure even quiet sound have rapidly increased due to development of electric vehicles.
By adding wireless image transmission function, this company was able to even supply its sound camera to a famous German automobile maker.
SM Instrument (CEO Kim Young-ki) made an announcement on the 28th that it will add Wi-Fi wireless image transmission function to its portable sound camera ‘SeeSV’ and sell it on markets. SeeSV is a sound camera that was released by SM Instrument in 2014. Just like a thermal camera, it captures regions that make noises in 25 frames per second and indicates those regions.
Sound camera is useful for electric vehicles to detect a source of quiet sound since it shows sound that cannot be easily detected with a normal method in image. It captures all quiet sounds such as squeaky sound from a seat, vibration from a door handle and others. If noise like these are not detected by a sound camera, it is hard to find a region that causes such noise.
A reason why sound cameras are receiving attention is due to opening of generation of electric vehicles. When electric vehicles are developed, it is important to detect NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness) within a diesel locomotive as well as BSR (Buzz Squeak Rattle). Since amount of noise that is caused directly from driving is quiet, it is easier to hear BSR such as squeaky sound.
Not only is this kind of noise less loud than current NVH, but it also occurs sporadically. While it is quiet on flat ground, it occurs when a car is moving on a hill. To find a source of noise, portable device needs to be used to capture noise in real time even when a car is moving. To reduce time of development and BSR, automobile industries are going to introduce sound cameras.
To look at images from previous sound cameras on laptops or PCs, one needed wired connection. However one can now look at images wirelessly since current sound cameras have Wi-Fi function. This function was first introduced by SM Instrument in the world and received certifications for wireless connection from many different countries including FCC (Federal Communication Commission) from the U.S.
Although SeeSV has SM Instrument’s mark, it was also sold as National Instrument’s (NI) product. In countries other than South Korea, there are more times when SeeSV is sold with NI’s product number. By using distribution network of a company that is verified, SeeSV was supplied to many top global automobile makers such as Toyota, Ford, Volvo, Hyundai Cars and others.
SM Instrument’s new product that has wireless option will soon to be finished with registration as NI’s product. Even before an official registration, this new product was supplied to a popular German automobile maker. This maker will introduce SM Instrument’s product for the first time. It is heard that this maker directly requested wireless image transmission function.
Due to development of a new product and expansion of customers, it is expected that South Korea’s sound cameras will continue to grasp dominance in markets. It is also predicted that demands for sound cameras will continue to increase. Not only are they used for BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), but they are also used for HBEV (Hybrid Battery Electric Vehicle), PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) and others. Current trend has many automobile makers fiercely competing for development of electric vehicles as BMW has decided to add a PHEV model to its every model.
“Because SeeSV can detect dispersion of sound in real-time and quiet sound, many globally leading automobile makers are using SeeSV.” said CEO Kim Young-ki of SM Instrument. “Wi-Fi function recently finished FCC certification and will be registered as NI’s product within a month or two.”
Staff Reporter Song, Junyoung | [email protected]
