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. Regular cameras can only capture 24 frames per second, making it impossible to capture fast processes in detail. The new camera, called the FRAME camera, uses a frequency recognition algorithm for multiple exposures to document ultra-fast processes in slow motion. The camera sends out ultra-short laser flashes that are reflected by the object being filmed, creating a sequence of different signals that are then arranged in the correct order to create a video.
The FRAME camera is much more detailed than the camera developed by a research team at the University of Tokyo in 2014, which can document up to 4.4 trillion frames per second. The new camera is capable of capturing unique processes without the need to repeat experiments in exactly the same way, which is often difficult or impossible. The camera is aimed at scientists who want to document and study ultra-fast processes that last only a picosecond or femtosecond, a very short period of time. The technology could also be used by the industry in the future.
The camera has already been tested to document the movement of light particles passing through a sheet of paper. The technology is not yet available for commercial use, but a German company has reportedly developed a prototype. The new camera is a significant breakthrough in the field of high-speed photography and could lead to new discoveries in science and technology.
