Journey to YUNO 03| Why 360°Tracking Needs Reliable Night Vision
A 360° tracking camera is only useful if it can capture the full feeding moment clearly, even when that moment happens in the middle of the night.
One of the questions we hear most often from pet parents is simple:
“If my cat gets up to eat in the middle of the night, will I still be able to see what is happening?”
For YUNO, the answer had to be yes. A 360° tracking camera is only useful if it can follow the full feeding moment clearly, whether it happens at noon or at 2 a.m. That is why reliable night vision became one of the most important, and most challenging, parts of YUNO's camera development.
Testing Infrared Emitters From the Ground Up
To build a night vision system that could work inside a compact pet feeder, we started by evaluating a wide range of infrared emitter LEDs. The team compared 850nm and 940nm wavelengths, 3mm and 5mm packages, and beam angles including 20°, 40°, 60°, and 120°.
Each configuration came with its own trade-offs. Some emitters delivered stronger brightness but created a narrower beam. Others offered wider coverage but required more space or consumed more power. Instead of choosing the first option that looked good in a lab test, we compared each setup against the real experience we wanted pet parents to have: a clear, comfortable view of their pet at the bowl.
We evaluated different infrared emitter types, wavelengths, sizes, and beam angles before selecting the final night vision solution.From Component Choice to Prototype Boards
Every promising idea led to another prototype. We designed and assembled multiple infrared light boards, swapping components and adjusting layouts before integrating them into the camera module. Each hardware revision was followed by another round of validation and nighttime testing.
This repeated process helped us understand not only which components performed well on paper, but which ones could survive the practical constraints of YUNO's final design.
Every hardware revision started with a new prototype and another round of testing.Fitting Night Vision Inside a Spherical Camera
The real challenge was not simply achieving night vision. It was achieving it inside YUNO's compact spherical camera.
Within that small space, the team needed to fit the camera, pan-and-tilt mechanism, motors, PCB, wiring, and infrared LEDs while preserving YUNO's clean industrial design. Some infrared emitters delivered excellent illumination but needed too much installation space. Others were compact enough but failed to cover the feeding area effectively.
We repeatedly adjusted the internal structure and LED placement, then validated each revision until the final configuration delivered the right balance of visibility, coverage, reliability, and design fit.
Fitting reliable night vision into YUNO's compact spherical camera required multiple structural iterations.Validating Image Quality in Real Night Conditions
After every hardware revision, we returned to nighttime testing. The team compared image clarity, illumination uniformity, exposure, shadows, object visibility, and performance at different distances.
We also checked whether pets approaching the bowl could be captured clearly without excessive glare, harsh shadows, or overexposure. For a pet parent opening the app at night, the important question is not how complicated the engineering was. It is whether they can immediately understand what their pet is doing.
Side-by-side nighttime tests helped us compare illumination, clarity, and real-world visibility.
Testing the bowl view helped us confirm that YUNO could capture the feeding area clearly in low-light conditions.The Feature You Should Not Have to Think About
After countless component selections, prototype builds, structural revisions, and night tests, we finalized the infrared system used in YUNO today.
For most users, these engineering decisions will remain invisible. But when you open the app at 2 a.m. and clearly see your pet walk up to the bowl, eat comfortably, and continue their nightly routine, every iteration matters.
At HHOLOVE, we believe the best product features are often the ones users never have to think about, because behind the scenes they have already been refined through testing, validation, and careful attention to detail.
Dejar un comentario