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Photographing Exploding Edibles

Posted by michael on from the nailed dept.

Isaac Skibinski writes "Remember gawking at photos of bullets going through apples (and the pretty fruit gibbage)? We've recently built an apparatus to capture similar results, using a BASIC controller stamp, a disposable camera flash, an air compressor, an electronic sprinkler valve and some pipe. Considering the cost of the device, it has allowed us to take suprisingly crisp photos of high-velocity objects."

2 of 252 comments (clear)

  1. More exploding fruit & stuff by tylernt · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Only these guys used real guns, no some sissy PVC contraption: http://www.bitpress.com/dc/ The 7 cans is my favorite. :)

    --
    DRM 'manages access' in the same way that a prison 'manages freedom'
  2. Re:"Images in science" by Cyclotron_Boy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I also took a lot of pictures of Exploding Apples. However, where this kid used a pneumatic gun and a flash camera, we used large pulses of current. In peak shots, we exceeded 2GW through the apples. Needless to say, they didn't make it.
    The biggest difference between our methods, though, is the flash. Nails hitting the apples didn't produce any light, so he wouldn't get an image. We sat with the shutter open in a dark room as well, but all of our shots were simply lit by the light from the explosion. Note how the apples seem to be lit from within... Spooky. Here's a gallery of the various experiments in our HV lab.
    -F