Three-Dimensional Tracking of High-Speed Tumbling Projectiles Using Stroboscopic Imaging

Technical Report · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 2019

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1482861· OSTI ID:1482861

Bixler, Daniel James ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM (United States)

Creating images of high-speed projectiles has been a topic of interest for almost a century. Historically, ballistics ranges have used air-gap flash photography or high-speed video cameras to capture this type of data. Air-gap flash photography provides a single image at each camera station. Using modern high-speed imagers provides accurate data but is cost prohibitive for a long-distance range. This paper presents a camera system capable of capturing the three-dimensional data of high speed projectiles over a long distance. The system uses relatively low-cost cameras which are set up in a stereo vision configuration and uses high-speed strobe lights to create multi exposure images. Each pulse of light captures the position of the projectile as it passes the camera. For each position captured in the image, the three-dimensional position of the projectile is found using triangulation geometry. The linear velocity of the projectile is calculated by combining the position of the projectile with timing data. Two test series were conducted. The first test series compares different cameras and backdrops for the camera system. The second test series captured position data for two different shapes of high-speed tumbling projectiles.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000; NA0003525
• OSTI ID: 1482861
• Report Number(s): SAND--2018-13019R; 669913
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
High Speed Imaging
Multi Exposure Image
Stereo Vision