Author Yun Peng edited "Heart-to-Heart" for Zhidxcom.
On May 21st, Zhidxcom reported that vivo recently held an imaging technology communication meeting. Vivo's vice president and vice president of imaging, Yu Meng, shared in-depth insights during the meeting on vivo's strategy of independent research and collaborative research in imaging, as well as the core self-developed technology accumulation of blueprint imaging under the vivo-Zeiss joint imaging system.
Currently, vivo's strategic partnership with Zeiss has entered its fourth year, leading to joint innovations in Zeiss optical lenses, Zeiss T* coatings, Zeiss APO chromatic aberration control standards, and Zeiss natural colors. Recently, they signed a new joint research and development expansion agreement to continue collaborative research in traditional mobile imaging and explore more possibilities in computational optics and future imaging.
Vivo mentioned that deep collaborations with Zeiss, Sony, Samsung, Hawkeye, MediaTek, Qualcomm, and other manufacturers have been crucial to the success of vivo's imaging achievements today.
Regarding the vivo X100 Ultra's debut featuring vivo's self-developed Blueprint Imaging, it was pointed out that Blueprint Imaging is a combination of vivo's self-developed sensor technology, algorithms, and imaging chips. Vivo integrates Blueprint Imaging, Blue Crystal Chip technology stack, Blue Heart large model, Blue Ocean endurance system, and Blue River operating system to form the vivo Blue-Tech Matrix.
The original image engine has now incorporated AI large model capabilities. Vivo's important research achievement in sensor technology, the VCS biomimetic spectral technology, plays a key role in color restoration and noise suppression performance improvements. The main camera and telephoto sensors of the vivo X100 Ultra both feature technologies based on the VCS standard.
It is worth mentioning that currently vivo is the only manufacturer in the industry that insists on developing its own image chips. The vivo self-developed Blueprint Image V3+ chip, combined with the VSR algorithm, enhances the clarity and tones of stage videos.
Specifically, the vivo X100 Ultra, known in the industry as "Thanos," is equipped with the LYT 900 and HP9 sensors jointly developed with Sony and Samsung. It incorporates vivo's Blueprint Image VCS bionic spectral technology, optimizing the color filter and ulens hardware structure to improve sensor QE spectra. This approach allows the sensor's raw information to continuously approach human visual perception, enhancing the phone's color reproduction and light sensitivity.
The telephoto module of the vivo X100 Ultra uses fluorite-grade glass lens FCD100 to improve chromatic aberration. To address optical crosstalk issues, vivo has pioneered the industry's 4*4 HexBayer large model technology, solving the complex image quality degradation caused by optical crosstalk. The integration of hardware and software achieves the outstanding telephoto performance of the vivo X100 Ultra.
In the traditional strength of vivo in portrait photography, the 2023 vivo X100 series has introduced Zeiss full focal range portraits. The vivo X100 Ultra is equipped with an 85mm portrait lens, reportedly the industry's only long-focus lens dedicated entirely to portrait photography. This 85mm portrait lens has strong resolving power, capable of accurately reproducing portrait details, natural skin texture, clear hair strands and eyelashes, and sharp pupils.
To enhance the effect of long-focus portraits, vivo has accumulated a large amount of self-developed software algorithms. For example, the AI multi-frame high-pixel algorithm significantly increases data processing by 300%, providing an ultimate space for portrait creation. The customized eye AF pixel focusing function for close-up eye shots has a minimum focusing distance of 12cm, with a 30% improvement in focusing precision/granularity.
In addition, the vivo X100 Ultra introduces 3D imaging capabilities, as well as the AI Four Seasons Portrait feature based on AI large models, offering innovative photography experiences.
Firstly, vivo has made significant investments in the video optical components of the X100 Ultra. The industry's largest one-inch sensor with a stabilization angle of up to 2.0°, combined with the LYT-900 main camera and HP9 telephoto lens, brings the recording specifications of a professional video camera to a smartphone. This enables the phone to achieve 4K 120fps capabilities across multiple focal lengths, supporting 2X and 7.4X zoom within the sensor during video recording, allowing the three physical lenses to deliver video quality across five optical focal lengths.
Simultaneously, with balanced optical support, the vivo X100 Ultra achieves 2.8K stabilization across all focal lengths, as well as 4K time-lapse photography, giving it video capabilities comparable to the iPhone.
High-quality video shooting involves algorithmic requirements such as depth, blur, beautification, and color, posing a significant challenge to platform computing power. The vivo X100 Ultra is equipped with vivo's self-developed Blueprint Imaging Chip V3+ and FIT dual-core interconnection system, reducing power consumption by 80% and increasing performance by 35%, making it possible to run multiple video algorithms concurrently under 4K.
For core video shooting scenarios like night scenes, telephoto, and portraits, vivo has developed its own video algorithms. Self-developed HDR, RAW NR, MEMC motion estimation, and other video combination algorithms achieve a 4K super-sensing night vision effect. With the support of self-developed video AI super-resolution algorithms, telephoto recording achieves usable zoom ranges of up to 30X. The 4K video blur algorithm for portrait recording highlights the subject while creating a softer background.
Behind the "Thanos-like" imaging of the vivo X100 Ultra lies vivo's years of dedication to mobile imaging technology and self-research efforts, as well as extensive collaboration with top-tier partners in the supply chain for technology research. Self-research and collaborative research are key to vivo's establishment of a moat in imaging technology.
