Page 2: Researchers use high-speed camera to study water droplet dynamics

Aug. 29, 2013
Researchers at Cornell University conducted a study in which an observation platform and a high-speed camera were used to study the behavior of water droplets. In the study, the researchers observed the droplets from the top to note the effects of oscillating the water drops at various frequencies.

With this system, the Cornell researchers observed the effects of oscillating the water drops at various frequencies and found that certain frequencies correspond to the shape of a drop of a specific size, not unlike certain frequencies corresponding to a given length on a guitar’s string, according toNature World News.

In addition, the droplets take on multiple shapes when vibrated with a single driving frequency, which can be compared to physicists observing two different energy states in an excited molecule at the same time. The findings from the study could provide insight into further studies, Susan Daniel, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and lead study author said sin the article. NASA, for example, is interested in how water droplets move on surfaces in low gravity.

Without the high-speed imaging, they wouldn’t have been able to study the drops exhibiting these kinds of mixed behaviors. In addition, without the imaging platform, the team would not have been able to study the drops from the top, which enable them to see the characteristic shapes better than ever before, according to Daniel.

View theCornell study.

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About the Author

James Carroll

Former VSD Editor James Carroll joined the team 2013.  Carroll covered machine vision and imaging from numerous angles, including application stories, industry news, market updates, and new products. In addition to writing and editing articles, Carroll managed the Innovators Awards program and webcasts.

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