DIY High Speed Video Camera - Muybridge Style - Smarter Every Day 5 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

A modern-day recreation of Eadweard Muybridge's high-speed photography using simpler technology, showcasing the advancements in capturing fast-paced events.

Key Insights

• 🚄 Eadweard Muybridge's work on high-speed photography revolutionized the way motion and movement were captured.
• 👻 The combination of a programmable pulse generator and a piezoelectric transducer allows for precise timing and high-resolution images.
• 🚄 Correcting for ballistic variance is necessary to maintain accuracy in representing high-speed events.

Transcript

Hey it's me, Destin. The idea, here at Smarter Every Day, is to make you smarter. I guess it was 1872, the governor of California tried to solve the age old question: When a horse runs, are all four of its hooves off the ground at any point in transit? Now, artists of the day liked to show images with the horses' feet up front and in back off the g... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Eadweard Muybridge contribute to the field of high-speed photography?

Eadweard Muybridge was commissioned to capture a series of images of a running horse to determine if all four of its hooves were off the ground at any point. He achieved this by using a series of cameras triggered by strings associated with the horse's movements.

Q: How does the programmable pulse generator and piezoelectric transducer work in high-speed photography?

The pulse generator, when triggered by an acoustic signal, flashes the piezoelectric transducer, which captures the high-speed image. With a resolution of 25 picoseconds, it allows for precise timing and freeze-frame shots.

Q: What is the purpose of correcting for ballistic variance in high-speed photography?

Ballistic variance refers to the discrepancy between the actual appearance of a high-speed event and how it appears in the recorded video. Correcting for ballistic variance ensures accurate representation of the event and enables arranging the images in chronological order.

Q: How does the recreation of Muybridge's high-speed photography differ from commercial high-speed cameras?

The recreation uses simpler and more cost-effective technology to achieve high-speed photography. While commercial high-speed cameras are expensive, this setup provides equivalent quality and resolution at a fraction of the cost.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The video explores the history of Eadweard Muybridge and his contributions to high-speed photography by capturing images of a running horse.

• The host demonstrates the use of a programmable pulse generator combined with a piezoelectric transducer to create high-speed photography images with 25 picosecond resolution.

• The video showcases the process of correcting for ballistic variance and arranging the images in distance to recreate the effect observed in Muybridge's work.