Table of Contents

Objective

To meet the goals of the project, a high speed camera was used to capture the golf ball at high speeds. It was important to capture the golf ball at high speeds and capture a number of frames to get data that could be used. An average dSLR would not be able to capture the camera at high speeds and would capture a blur of the ball.

The video footage collected would later be used for the tracking software. Since the cameras selected did not have a virtual connection with the computer, the collecting and exporting had to be two different tasks that would be done one after another.

More information on high speed camera can be found on the High Speed Camera page.

Sony DSC-RX100M7

The Sony DSC-RX100M7 is the high speed camera which was used for the golf project. The fastest shutter speed for this camera is 1/32,000 of a second allowing capture of the golf ball in motion [1]. As well, it has a wide aperture of F2.8 allowing for more light to enter. Other brands and models may offer different speeds and technical features, such as different aperture size and fast shutter speed.

When the camera was used, the background was considered to be as simple as possible and have the golf ball in frame. When the golf ball was hit, it would go across the frame in a parabolic shape or linear shape if it rolls on the ground.

The challenge with this camera was the frame speed. The fastest it could go is 960 frames per second. The problem with the fastest frame speed which applies for the Chronos camera as well as a decrease in resolution. As such, a wider shot was used to capture more frames with a higher resolution and slower frame speed. This would capture the golf ball in motion, and in short distance shots, the entire ball path can be seen.

Our team collected footage primarily to track the golf ball and see if the detection algorithm and functions worked.

Image of a golf ball, taken with the high speed camera.

Krontech Chronos Camera

This camera was able to take photos at a frame speed of 1,000 frames per second which is considerably faster.

There were some noticeable things upon using the camera. First, it was more difficult to use, as it was not an unconventional camera. Second, the lens was prime and could not be zoomed in or out. Third, it had a faster frame speed than the Sony camera. This is expanded in the comparison table below.

With the camera, our team collected footage of the golf ball using the baseball pitching machine for a more controlled speed. As well, footage was collected with a golf iron to see how the code would fare under different lighting conditions and with a golf club.

The footage was processed, and this is expanded in Tracking Program page.

Image of the golf ball from the Chronos camera.

Comparison of the Two Cameras

In the end, both cameras offer different advantages and disadvantages for the golf project. The limitations of both cameras are discussed in the summary table below:

Feature	Sony High Speed Camera	Krontech High Speed Camera
Frame Speed	Collects up to 120 frames per second at full resolution and 960 frames per second at minimum resolution	Collects more frames in a matter of seconds, up to 1,000 frames per second at full resolution and 24,046 frames per second at minimum resolution
Shutter Speed	32,000 of a second	Faster than 1,000 of a second. Can go up to 100,000
Range of View	With zoom lens, can easily adjust the distance. Zoom offers wider and more zoomed in capabilities to capture more of the golf ball trajectory	It is a prime lens with no zoom capabilities To achieve a wider shot, will need to go further away
Battery	Battery can last for around two hours when turned on	Needs to be powered most times, as the power is lost quick
Video Save Times	Video saves right away once it is taken. It takes a few seconds before the next video can be taken	Slow save times (40 fps)
Download Times	Both cameras can have the SD cards removed and download

References

[1] “Sony RX100 VII Compact Camera, Unrivalled AF,” Sony. [Online]. Available: https://www.sony.ca/en/electronics/cyber-shot-compact-cameras/dsc-rx100m7. [Accessed: 11-Feb-2021].

Contributors:

User	Last Update
Lesley Lang	1256 days ago

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