Swedish researchers at Lund University have developed the world’s fastest camera, capable of capturing events that are too fast for the human eye to see. The camera uses a new recording technique with laser flashes to capture up to five trillion frames per second in a single shot. While regular cameras can capture slow-motion footage, they typically only record 24 frames per second, which is not enough to capture fast processes in detail. The new camera, called the FRAME camera, is much more detailed than a camera developed by a research team at the University of Tokyo in 2014, which could capture up to 4.4 trillion frames per second.
The FRAME camera works by using ultra-short laser flashes of different types to record the object being filmed. The object reflects these impulses, creating a sequence of different signals that are then put in the correct order by an algorithm to create the video. The camera is aimed at scientists who want to document and study ultra-fast processes that last only a picosecond or femtosecond, which is an incredibly short period of time. The technology could also be used by the industry in the future.
The camera is a significant breakthrough in the field of high-speed photography, as it allows scientists to capture unique processes without having to repeat experiments in the same way. The technology could be used to document chemical reactions, brain processes, and even the movement of light. While the camera is not aimed at hobby photographers, it is a significant development for the scientific community and could lead to new discoveries in the future. A German company has already developed a prototype, and the technology is expected to be available in the next two years.
