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Our Research High Speed Shooting at 400 frames per second |
- Start /stop film by clicking on the button.
- change the film’s speed by changing the
number above
(pictures per milli second), stop the film first
If the Java isn't working for you, optional MPEG sequences are available to download:
highspeed2.mpg [slow] 69kb | highspeed1.mpg [slower] 137kb
*In order to view the MPEG, you must have a program that plays MPEGs such as Microsoft Media Player downloadable from Microsoft's website (www.microsoft.com).
These files are best played looped in your MPEG player.
How do they do this?
We had seen Hawkmoths standing in one position in the air for 20 seconds to
from a blossom. They moved their wings so fast that none of us could see
how they did it. This question was the question we posed ourselves. From
biological literature we learned that the frequency of the beat of wings was
about 80 Hz for a Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum).
The
high speed camera
Are there cameras which can seize so fast movements? - The research division
of DaimlerChrysler in Stuttgart (Germany) possesses such a camera. Combustions
in a combustion engine can be filmed with it. Up to 6,000 photos per second are
possible.
As
DaimlerChrysler is open to youth doing research work we were invited to come to
a photo session to the research lab. With the support of the butterfly house on
the island Mainau in Lake Constance we could observe the date with several
butterflies and get some experience. Since the shooting time of the whole 16mm
film is less than one minute the butterfly must be exactly in the focal distance
of the lens in the right moment. But the winged "models" wouldn’t
follow our instructions. They either flew away at once or didn’t move at all.
Watching the developed films later was a disappointment for all of us.
Second attempt
If the animals don’t move in front of the camera, the camera must come to
them.
At the university of Tuebingen in the division neurophysiology Prof. Varju did research work with Hummingbird Hawkmoths. In the big cage we succeeded to take the exclusive shooting shown above with the help of Dr. Koenig.
