Tag Archives: science

Phantom TMX 7510 does 76000 fps in HD!

Phantom TMX 7510

The scientists at Vision Research are at it again at their favorite pastime of hyper slow motion gear creation.  The new TMX 7510 Phantom camera is the fastest ever in their arsenal with a mind-bending spec of 75 Gigapixels throughput which is capable of delivering 76,000fps  1 Megapixel resolution or slightly higher than HD at 1280 x 800px.

The camera features the first BSI or Back-side illuminated sensor ever used in a Phantom camera. This allows for much better low-light performance which is crucial for slow motion applications.  The camera tops out at a ridiculous 1.75 million fps frame rate at 1280 x 32px in standard width mode or 640 x 64px in Binned mode.  One second recorded at that speed creates a file that plays back for 972min or just over 16hrs in a 30fps timeline.  Yikes! → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Multiply Your Video Frame Rate with Dain-App !

Multiply Your Video Frame Rate

We got over 20 messages with essentially the same video sample in our inbox this week. They all touted the new interpolation from the DAIN experimental App or (Depth Aware Video Interpolation App)  which now analyses footage with a Neural network AI algorithm that crunches motion vectors and even what seemed impossible before “Object Occlusion” to generate higher frame rates from lower fps sources.  The technology is pretty fascinating and should be further improved by more training and samples over the coming years.

For stop motion animators, this is a complete game-changer as now you could animate with as little as 8fps and then interpolate to 30fps or 60fps with very little in the way of tearing and artifacting as long as the footage is well lit and objects clearly defined.  To make matters more interesting, it also analyses footage with shallow depth of field yielding impressive results.

Multiply Your Video Frame Rate with Interpolation or the “I” Word for Slow Motion Enthusiasts:

We visited the Interpolation topic in the past on our Fake Slow Motion article and concluded that then, the quality of interpolation while good was far from usable and you really could not compromise real high fps footage from interpolated versions except in very simple cases.

Now with DAIN technology, we have no choice but to re-visit the cases and analyze what it is capable of.  We looked at a few dozen examples and it is clear the technology has progressed forward so much that now stop motion animation, 2D Cell-based cartoon animation, and even 3D animated sequences rendered at 30p can easily be turned in higher fps increments yielding impressive and in some cases miraculous results.

We would like you to first watch the video below to understand what a depth map is and how the software in DAIN can create frames from nothing that look just like real ones.  A depth map will generate an approximated view of the world in a Lidar-Like vision representation to figure out to the best of the AI estimation where objects are in a scene according to their location close or far to the camera.

Depth-Aware Video Frame Interpolation by Wenbo Bao:

Even at 48fps from  12fps source, it is clear the technology in DAIN can yield impressive results even with heavy organic detail in the background including foliage. The software does an admirable job of estimating the relative position of objects in the video scenes.

AI使用フレーム補間アプリ DAIN APP byTALBOの実験室 Ch.: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Krontech Releases Chronos Software 0.4 with LAN support!

Chronos Software 0.4

Krontech.ca the makers of the Chronos affordable professional high speed camera have released the Software version 0.4.0 Beta of the camera platform.  The cameras will now be using an embedded build of the Debian operating system which was already the default OS for the Chronos 2.1 HD.  All Chronos 1.4c cameras can now be upgraded to the new Beta version free of charge Follow this link for the official thread.

We tested the software briefly and found it to be responsive and solid.  However as a Beta, you should be ready to find some glitches here and there, if you are doing mission-critical work you should wait for a full release before updating to be on the safe side, we recommend it for most users who are not shooting once in a lifetime events. If you do find bugs please contact them to help squash them out.

Chronos Software 0.4.0 Software Beta:

Official thread, installation instructions and download link here!

Notable Changes:
– Support for the LUX2100 image sensor.
– API for camera control via JSON/HTTP over the Ethernet port.
* Examples: https://github.com/krontech/chronos-examples
– Saving of media over network to an NFS and Samba share.
– Software updates can be downloaded over the internet.
– Real-time video stream from the camera using RTSP.
– New back-of-camera GUI is available via the software update screen.
* For more information: http://forum.krontech.ca/index.php?topic=498

The biggest change is the ability to control the camera via Ethernet which gets it into more professional settings that allow for a really long tethering solution or using a small portable LAN Wifi router like the ZyXel here which will allow wireless control from afar. As of now it allows the use of control scripts that will operate the camera remotely with a great deal of customizability.  For situations that require the camera to be sealed and controlled remotely and unattended, this is an ideal solution. We will revisit the feature once we have tested it.

Spice Slow motion test chronos camera 2.1 HD by LaSt Studio:

We love the new Dark GUI and we especially find it comforting to get more video preview space which was taken by the old interface scroll bar and buttons. Now the video preview takes center stage much like what you see in other professional cameras like the ones from RED and or Blackmagic design.   We will test the new software in our next shoot with the Chronos 1.4 and will get a 2.1 HD to review later this year. Stay tuned!

Chronos does space science:

Krontech also shared this article in IEEE Spectrum magazine that details the work by Masten Space Systems on creating instant landing pads for future space exploration vehicles. The technology uses the rocket exhaust and composite materials to create a kind of lilypad array on planetary surfaces to create a stable base for exploration modules.

The Chronos cameras were used extensively for testing the different materials and exhaust plumes of rockets on their research. The footage below shows part of the Chronos camera imagery analyzing different test cases of the technology. We estimate the Chronos 1.4c was used for this project.

It is exciting to see Krontech catering to many labs now and creating a name for itself in the Aerospace industry by showing affordability does not necessarily mean unprofessional.  The fact that rocket scientists are using the cameras with great success should make it an easy purchase for many other labs.

For more information on these cameras go to www.krontech.ca !

Thanks for reading and remember to mention HSC Code “HISPEEDCAMS5”  to Krontech at Chronos store for a possible discount on your order if you are a new customer! -HSC

10k 72fps Camera to be developed by Spanish PNBE!

PNBE 10k Camera Slow Motion

The Spanish Association of Broadcast, Cinema and TV Producers or PNBE for short, is sharing some information about a camera they are custom building for the purpose of shooting a new series for Spanish Television that explores  Nature and Astrology “Or maybe Astronomy” which could be a translation error.  The new camera will be able to shoot at pretty remarkable specs like 10k and 8k video including higher frame rates at many resolutions that surpass anything in its class.

The camera needs to have extreme detail and low light performance with RAW capabilities.  Only a dozen will be built for the TV program but we assume they share the information in order to see if there is interest in the market for DPs and other professionals to own such a camera.  We were happy to see that the spec sheet is very detailed with both H.264 and H.265 support aside from RAW and Cinema DNG formats in recording.

PNBE 10k Camera Slow Motion capabilities:

  • 10k at 72 fps Progressive
  • 8k ws at 96fps Progressive
  • 4K 16:9 UHD at 120p-150p

No more information like support for lower resolutions was shared. Such a camera would probably be able to output 480fps at 1080p without taking a sweat if the sensor is fast enough to do it. We may know more as development continues.

Other Specs for the camera:

  • 6GBps write to achieve 16bit Raw of 10K at 72fps
  • M.2 PCIE 16TB Drive for up to 8hrs of recording
  • RAW,  H.264 or H.265 & CinemaDNG
  • USB SS 3.1 for fast transfers
  • HDMI 2.0 Monitoring
  • Stereo in/out audio ports
  • eSATA and USB Type C
  • Detachable Sensor Module for recording via fiber channel without being attached to camera body.
  • uses NVIDIA Jetson Xavier Embedded
    chip processing board 512 core GPUS
    (Volta), memory at up to 172 GBps, and the ability
    to encode 1*8K video in either H.264 or H.265 in
    real-time.
  • Max default native resolution: 9.600 x 6.900 pixels.
    ○ Other video resolutions: 1080p, 2K, 4K, 6K, 8K, 10K
    ● Framerate max res: 72 (raw).
    ● Detachable sensor: up to 2 meters or + depending resolution.
    ● Sensor size: APS-C
    ● Codecs: raw, raw S, cinema dng, h264 and h265.
    ● Internal media: SSD up to 16 TB
    ○ Max data transfer: 6 GBps (6000 MB per second)
    ● Aprox dimensions: 14 x 12 x 10 cm.
    ● Lense mount: Canon EF
    ○ with pin support for motorized aperture and focus.
    ● Power: 2 separate dc inputs of 12~15V. 20 Whr to 44 Whr.
  • Autumn 2020 unit production deadline for the TV Station.

These are the early development stages and this camera may change considerably by the time it is delivered. If they manage to hit every mark, they may be able to further extend the production run for other studios interested.  In the meantime visiting their official site below should be your first stop if you are interested. -HSC 

For more information, pictures and a contact form, visit the soon to be launched:  www.pnbe.org – The project is managed by Aitor Elorga.

 

SpaceX Rocket Launches Shot In Slow Motion!

Two brave filmmakers  Ryan Chylinski and MaryLiz Bender used autonomous remote high speed cameras powered by solar power, batteries & placed at SpaceX launchpads to show the stunning power and luminosity of these modern marvels or rocketry.  While you can see some vertical banding in the darkest shots “Probably lack of dark calibration before a long wait” there is no denying that the result is breathtaking. No word on which type cameras were used to shoot this material but we estimate it was at 1080p FHD and maybe a Chronos 1.4.

“We place autonomous ultra-high speed video cameras at the launchpads of SpaceX, NASA, and ULA. These are cameras we position well ahead of the liftoff, design to survive the elements and, since no humans can be anywhere near the rockets, trigger without any interaction. The results are stunning.” Project & Support Link Here!

The Kickstarter project which will deliver a film and an Augmented Reality AR Book if successful is already turning out to be stunning. You can support the project here and get yourself a copy in the process. They still have a ways to go to reach the 42K goal.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByHL4WQnc29/?utm_source=ig_embed

Chronos 1.4 Survives 180Gs of Force Strapped on Mower Blade!

Chronos 1.4 Mower

The Tesla500 Youtube Channel is at it again with an impressive build and experiment. David Kronstein the creator of the Chronos has attached a camera to a specially modified mower and blade assembly to shoot what a lawnmower does directly on the blade’s edge.  The mower was only run at 1/2 speed, to avoid a camera failure, resulted in about 180 G-forces at the edge of the camera.

Needless to say, it really shows how good the camera is at withstanding abuse.  While we do not condone you do this with any camera it is cool to know it can be done and still have beautiful high speed imagery to go with it. Congrats to David for the successful build!   The G-forces involved would kill any living thing with a brain in seconds hence why a camera is a good subject, Please don’t try this at home! Watch the video below:

Subscribe to the Tesla500 channel here and for info about getting a Chronos 1.4 camera for your own experiments go to the official site: https://www.krontech.ca