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Overview:
For those who can't tell Scorpius from Saggitarius, the Celestron SkyScout is the best way to catch up on the celestial wonders above them, whether at home or in the wild. Going inside the SkyScout, however, is also the best way to catch up on an extremely efficient and useful combination of GPS location, dual-axis accelerometer and optical hardware with database, sensing and user-interface software.
While one might at first assume the inclusion of sophisticated pattern-recognition software, Celestron's designers eschewed that in favor of simplicity, without compromising effectiveness. Every designer's goal. The SkyScout only needs to know where, when and in which direction the device is pointing in order to identify the constellation. Also, a simple LED-based guidance circle around the optics guides the user to a predetermined constellation.
Given that it's a consumer device, low cost was a priority. Still, the SkyScout needed a GPS chip, processing power, memory, accelerometers, a magneto-resistive chip, sensors, amplifiers, converters, an audio system, a display and many man-hours of software and user-interface development time to go with it. Nonetheless, the device weighs in at $399.
Use this OnDemand to find out how Celestron managed to render location, time and direction information without breaking the bank. Specifically, this seminar will show viewers:
- What component choices were made to balance performance and cost.
- How objects can be identified in space without the need for sophisticated pattern recognition.
- How users can be guided to an object—simply
- And much more!
Who should attend:
Designers of devices and systems that require the rendering of location, time and direction information, particularly at low cost.
Presenter:
David Carey
David Carey is President of Portelligent www.teardown.com. The Austin, Texas company produces teardown reports and related industry research on Wireless, Mobile, and Personal Electronics.
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