Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is a process of suspending tiny tracer particles in the air and illuminating them with a laser sheet plane. The process is used to visualize and measure the movement of fluids. In this case the fluid is air, which is being displaced and agitated by water. Notice the airflow in the wake of falling droplets and along the borders of the subsequent splashes.
Download the HD vesion
For those of us who were unable to attend the TED conference back in February (my couch cushions just couldn’t quite turn up the $6,000 price of admission), we are in luck! Today, Nathan Myhrvold’s talk was released for the world to see. Check out our founder highlighting several of our malaria projects, along with cameo appearances by 3ric Johanson and Pablos Holman.
These high speed photographic images of mosquitoes were captured by Intellectual Ventures Laboratory scientists using a Vision Research Phantom V12.1, shooting at up to 6,000 frames per second. [read more about IV's malaria research]
Understanding Mosquito Flight: Intellectual Ventures researchers study flight dynamics of mosquitoes to look for novel ways to attack them. This video shows a technique called “Particle Image Velocimetry.” Tiny suspended water droplets, illuminated by a green planar laser, show the movement of the air around the mosquito’s wing.
Download video in high definition (58.9 MB)
Mosquito in Flight: This video depicts an Anopheles stephensi mosquito in flight. To capture this footage in focus, the mosquito was placed in a custom designed chamber that sensed when the mosquito flew through the focal plane.
Download video in high definition (19.3 MB)
Mosquito Shootdown Sequence: Video clips showing mosquitoes being killed by lasers. If played in real time, these segments would be roughly 1/10th of a second long.
Download video in high definition (26.2 MB)