TECHNOLOGY
“They were originally designed for making POV surfing videos but now cover a range of extreme sports”
How action cameras record on the go What makes a cutting-edge wearable camera tick? How It Works probes inside the GoPro HERO3…
Backing The waterproof cover for the battery compartment.
HERO3 exploded We take a peek inside GoPro’s latest mountable action-cam
Speaker The speaker and the button assembly are attached to the back.
Housing The innards are kept in toughened plastic that is waterproof to 60m (180ft).
Battery This 1,050mAh lithium-ion rechargeable cell has a pull-tab for easy release.
GoPro has been making wearable cameras for nearly a decade now, since its debut 35-millimetre (1.4-inch) film camera system was launched in 2004. They were originally designed for making point-ofview surfing videos but have now expanded to cover a huge range of extreme sports and pursuits, including diving, skydiving, motocross and more or less anything where a hands-free video recorder is required. The principal features of these cameras have always been that they are small and lightweight, shockproof and waterproof, and compatible with a host of mounts that enable them to be securely attached to the user and get up close to the activity. They also use multimedia technology that allows for crisp audio and video capture at speedy frame rates. There are three versions of the GoPro HERO3, all of which can record 1080p-resolution video at a minimum 30 frames per second, with the top-end Black edition capable of the latest 4K
038 | How It Works
video at 15 frames per second. The standard photo mode can snap 5-12-megapixel shots at regular intervals of 2-60 seconds, although it differs from standard digital cameras in that there is no zoom lens or viewfinder. In any case the GoPro HERO is designed to be activated and left to its own devices, rather than manually operated, enabling the user to focus their full attention on the extreme sport at hand. Finally, the vital mounting components comprise a comb joint, nut and bolt, and the GoPro HERO3 also boasts mounts tailored especially for handlebars, roll bars (for sports cars), helmets and a chest harness. WWW.HOWITWORKSDAILY.COM
