2007
Axel Manthei
San Francisco, CA
Digital high speed cameras have become faster and faster in recent years. Two Shimadzu HPV 1 digital high speed cameras capable of 1,000.000 frames per second were available to the Kurzzeit company of Werner Mehl. This brought up the idea to produce stereoscopic 3D high speed videos of shotgun pellets and other projectiles in flight and upon impact on different material. Also the explosion of a revolver was captured in 3-D. The digital high speed videos were produced with two simultaneously triggered Shimadzu high speed cameras. The illumination was achieved with special flashes. The complete triggering of the whole setup was done with a RTTS trigger system and a Kurzzeit chronograph. Both videos were merged with special software to produce anaglyph images to provide a stereoscopic 3D effect. This effect is commonly known from 3D movie theaters. For viewing the videos the typical 2 color glasses are necessary. The goal to produce 3-D high speed videos of ballistic incidents was achieved. The critical task is to (at the right moment) trigger and synchronize both cameras and the flashes within up to 1/1.000.000 of a second. This was possible with the equipment. The stereoscopic effect enables the viewer to get a 3 dimensional impression of the particle movement and the dispersion of fragments. The understanding of the high speed dynamics involved is improved.