Comments on: GoPro camera captures free-fall from 12.5K feet when skydiver drops it (video, not safe for epileptics) http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Tue, 21 May 2013 22:28:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: JamesPelaccio http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1534499 JamesPelaccio Tue, 18 Sep 2012 03:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1534499 Seriously! I hate it when skydivers randomly fall from the sky and land on people! Seriously! I hate it when skydivers randomly fall from the sky and land on people!

]]> By: stingie http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533879 stingie Mon, 17 Sep 2012 04:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533879 It would be a great computer science assignment to deconvolute the video It would be a great computer science assignment to deconvolute the video

]]> By: Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533714 Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky Sun, 16 Sep 2012 17:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533714 I think James has a point here I have seen about 4 virals recently with 'GoPro video camera' in the title posted on all the main sites I think James has a point here I have seen about 4 virals recently with ‘GoPro video camera’ in the title posted on all the main sites

]]> By: Joyfay Delicate http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533696 Joyfay Delicate Sun, 16 Sep 2012 16:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533696 me too :) me too :)

]]> By: _Kokzilla_ http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533596 _Kokzilla_ Sun, 16 Sep 2012 08:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533596 "A buddy the same day who is one of our camera flyers had the same thing happen but with his SLR....not the same result." Did you miss your Physics class at High School? Two objects, no matter how much they weight, suffer the same acceleration (g). BUT the impact is just an instant deceleration, so the force is F=m·a. So, obviously, the GoPro is lighter and suffers a lot less stress. Anyway: I DON'T BELIVE someone jumped with an SLR. But if so, I WOULD NEVER BELIEVE that in the very same day he also lost his camera.  Trying to sell a GoPro over a SLR... shameful. “A buddy the same day who is one of our camera flyers had the same thing happen but with his SLR….not the same result.”
Did you miss your Physics class at High School? Two objects, no matter how much they weight, suffer the same acceleration (g). BUT the impact is just an instant deceleration, so the force is F=m·a. So, obviously, the GoPro is lighter and suffers a lot less stress.

Anyway: I DON’T BELIVE someone jumped with an SLR. But if so, I WOULD NEVER BELIEVE that in the very same day he also lost his camera. 

Trying to sell a GoPro over a SLR… shameful.

]]> By: tmburke http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533460 tmburke Sun, 16 Sep 2012 00:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533460 I'm calling bullshit on those calling this bullshit- the fall time is right, the way it pops out has happened to me before, and this would be a really hard/expensive thing to 'stage'. Think about it, with everyone strapping these things everywhere, odds are they will pop out and fall, get picked up by seagulls, etc....  I’m calling bullshit on those calling this bullshit- the fall time is right, the way it pops out has happened to me before, and this would be a really hard/expensive thing to ‘stage’. Think about it, with everyone strapping these things everywhere, odds are they will pop out and fall, get picked up by seagulls, etc…. 

]]> By: Gary Allen http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533391 Gary Allen Sat, 15 Sep 2012 22:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533391 I'm a born cynic, but… You can hear a little "bump" when the skydiver moves through the airplane door, apparently the moment when the camera housing hit the top of the door frame. And just as he jumps, the camera turns to the left, and you can see the shadow of the camera on the outside of the airplane. The GoPro top latch shadow appears to be larger than it should be, indicating it's in the unlocked position. Finally, the disengagement of the camera from the housing appears authentic—it stays inside for a second or two, but then you can clearly see the housing's lens port moving away from the camera as the camera begins its fall. As for the final video of the skydivers landing, it's just the physics of any falling object combined with the camera's wide field of view—rare, but not impossible. I’m a born cynic, but… You can hear a little “bump” when the skydiver moves through the airplane door, apparently the moment when the camera housing hit the top of the door frame. And just as he jumps, the camera turns to the left, and you can see the shadow of the camera on the outside of the airplane. The GoPro top latch shadow appears to be larger than it should be, indicating it’s in the unlocked position. Finally, the disengagement of the camera from the housing appears authentic—it stays inside for a second or two, but then you can clearly see the housing’s lens port moving away from the camera as the camera begins its fall. As for the final video of the skydivers landing, it’s just the physics of any falling object combined with the camera’s wide field of view—rare, but not impossible.

]]> By: Bill Beaty http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533385 Bill Beaty Sat, 15 Sep 2012 22:14:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533385 lol go re-watch the landing.  The cam appears to have bounced once, quite high, and the first hit shaved quite a few RPMs off the spinning. lol go re-watch the landing.  The cam appears to have bounced once, quite high, and the first hit shaved quite a few RPMs off the spinning.

]]> By: Jonathan DeBlock http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533366 Jonathan DeBlock Sat, 15 Sep 2012 21:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533366 Did some quick math, and an estimate for the terminal velocity of a GoPro is between 65 and 75mph. I didn't bother to calculate how long it was accelerating for and calculated 68mph based on the camera leaving the holder at ~12,300ft and then treated it as if it was immediately traveling at terminal velocity (this means that terminal velocity will actually be a bit faster than calculated). The camera, after leaving the holder, fell for ~126s. Did some quick math, and an estimate for the terminal velocity of a GoPro is between 65 and 75mph. I didn’t bother to calculate how long it was accelerating for and calculated 68mph based on the camera leaving the holder at ~12,300ft and then treated it as if it was immediately traveling at terminal velocity (this means that terminal velocity will actually be a bit faster than calculated). The camera, after leaving the holder, fell for ~126s.

]]> By: tom28821 http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533277 tom28821 Sat, 15 Sep 2012 19:58:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533277 What happens when it falls on somebody and kills them? What happens when it falls on somebody and kills them?

]]> By: Will Dewitt http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533263 Will Dewitt Sat, 15 Sep 2012 19:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533263 Go Pros without the case only weigh a couple ounces so here was plent of wind resistance to slow it Go Pros without the case only weigh a couple ounces so here was plent of wind resistance to slow it

]]> By: avraamov http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533241 avraamov Sat, 15 Sep 2012 19:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533241 it's been my view for a while that the miniaturisation and mass production of dirt-cheap camera chips, along with youtube, is driving the most radical experimental video seen for a long time - especially in the amateur rocketry community. this is the sort of film that chris wellsby would have made in the '70's had he gone sky-diving. it’s been my view for a while that the miniaturisation and mass production of dirt-cheap camera chips, along with youtube, is driving the most radical experimental video seen for a long time – especially in the amateur rocketry community. this is the sort of film that chris wellsby would have made in the ’70′s had he gone sky-diving.

]]> By: CH http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533239 CH Sat, 15 Sep 2012 19:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533239 Urgh... I got an headache from that. Urgh… I got an headache from that.

]]> By: Clemmer http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533138 Clemmer Sat, 15 Sep 2012 15:21:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533138  Are all still-pics on Flickr that include the camera model in the title likewise quite suspicious?  It's analogous to including the model of your video camera in the title of a video on a video site.  How many Flickr pics have "5D" in the title after-all?  Are they all whoring for Canon?  Get off it.  Are all still-pics on Flickr that include the camera model in the title likewise quite suspicious?  It’s analogous to including the model of your video camera in the title of a video on a video site.  How many Flickr pics have “5D” in the title after-all?  Are they all whoring for Canon?  Get off it.

]]> By: Shaggy http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533129 Shaggy Sat, 15 Sep 2012 14:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533129 But, that's exactly what they WANT you to believe! But, that’s exactly what they WANT you to believe!

]]> By: Itsumishi http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533125 Itsumishi Sat, 15 Sep 2012 14:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533125 Yeah, except that is not how epilepsy works. Yeah, except that is not how epilepsy works.

]]> By: Itsumishi http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533124 Itsumishi Sat, 15 Sep 2012 14:43:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533124 So how would you go about describing dropping your camera from a plane and finding it perfectly intact?  So how would you go about describing dropping your camera from a plane and finding it perfectly intact? 

]]> By: Itsumishi http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533123 Itsumishi Sat, 15 Sep 2012 14:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533123 It's not that suspicious. GoPro by far and large have the biggest market share for this style of camera, people know this is what they make and its much shorter than saying: "Seagull stole small rugged camera used for filming extreme sports and other wacky adventures." It’s not that suspicious. GoPro by far and large have the biggest market share for this style of camera, people know this is what they make and its much shorter than saying: “Seagull stole small rugged camera used for filming extreme sports and other wacky adventures.”

]]> By: James Agenbroad http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533108 James Agenbroad Sat, 15 Sep 2012 14:16:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533108 it DID look like the spin was something close to an even multiple of the frame rate. it DID look like the spin was something close to an even multiple of the frame rate.

]]> By: Robert Baruch http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533107 Robert Baruch Sat, 15 Sep 2012 14:15:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533107 7:00. I have the weirdest boner. 7:00. I have the weirdest boner.

]]> By: petz79 http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533097 petz79 Sat, 15 Sep 2012 13:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533097 I wonder if you could stabilize the video frames during the fall? Similar to what somebody did to the Mars landing video. I wonder if you could stabilize the video frames during the fall? Similar to what somebody did to the Mars landing video.

]]> By: James Agenbroad http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533093 James Agenbroad Sat, 15 Sep 2012 12:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533093  I suppose that if you knew how much the camera weighed, you could figure that the downward force and the air resistance at terminal velocity were equal, and then using the approximation that drag was proportional to velocity to  figure how long it took to get to terminal velocity.  But you've already done more math that I care to.  Of course I'm suspicious of the 12.5k feet figure, could be less  I suppose that if you knew how much the camera weighed, you could figure that the downward force and the air resistance at terminal velocity were equal, and then using the approximation that drag was proportional to velocity to  figure how long it took to get to terminal velocity.  But you’ve already done more math that I care to.  Of course I’m suspicious of the 12.5k feet figure, could be less

]]> By: Alan Braggins http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533047 Alan Braggins Sat, 15 Sep 2012 09:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533047  Firstly, Jupiter BFPOE just ran the numbers for you. Secondly, that's not the same as terminal velocity for a human: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_velocity#Examples  Firstly, Jupiter BFPOE just ran the numbers for you.
Secondly, that’s not the same as terminal velocity for a human:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_velocity#Examples

]]> By: Ipo http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1533027 Ipo Sat, 15 Sep 2012 07:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1533027  My cat liked it.   My cat liked it. 

]]> By: J. Brad Hicks http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1532969 J. Brad Hicks Sat, 15 Sep 2012 05:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1532969 I was surprised by the speed of rotation, but given the narrow circumference, I shouldn't have been. I was surprised that the camera only barely beat the parachutists to the ground, but given that modern electronics boxes are pretty hollow, maybe I shouldn't have been. I am still surprised, though, by how stable the axis of rotation was. I still feel like the fall should have been more chaotic than that, but as far as I could pick up, it added no new vectors after other than the slight spin it picked up when it broke loose. Fascinating experiment. I was surprised by the speed of rotation, but given the narrow circumference, I shouldn’t have been. I was surprised that the camera only barely beat the parachutists to the ground, but given that modern electronics boxes are pretty hollow, maybe I shouldn’t have been. I am still surprised, though, by how stable the axis of rotation was. I still feel like the fall should have been more chaotic than that, but as far as I could pick up, it added no new vectors after other than the slight spin it picked up when it broke loose. Fascinating experiment.

]]> By: pstarr http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1532967 pstarr Sat, 15 Sep 2012 05:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1532967 I work for GoPro and am the sister of the guy who invented the camera, and I promise you that none of the viral GoPro videos were made by us!  You can see all the videos we have made on our YouTube channel.  This one, the seagull stole a GoPro, the skier falling backwards off a cliff, the mountain biker taken out by a wildebeest in Africa (ouch!)... all user generated.  And much more awesome than we would have come up with if we'd set out to try to fool people.  As for the GoPro branding and testimonials in the comments, our proud users just like to announce that they are rocking GoPros in the titles of their videos and also tell the world how much they love their cameras - yay for us! I work for GoPro and am the sister of the guy who invented the camera, and I promise you that none of the viral GoPro videos were made by us!  You can see all the videos we have made on our YouTube channel.  This one, the seagull stole a GoPro, the skier falling backwards off a cliff, the mountain biker taken out by a wildebeest in Africa (ouch!)… all user generated.  And much more awesome than we would have come up with if we’d set out to try to fool people.  As for the GoPro branding and testimonials in the comments, our proud users just like to announce that they are rocking GoPros in the titles of their videos and also tell the world how much they love their cameras – yay for us!

]]> By: chaopoiesis http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1532963 chaopoiesis Sat, 15 Sep 2012 05:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1532963 Turtles. Mutant ninja turtles. Turtles. Mutant ninja turtles.

]]> By: Henry Pootel http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1532948 Henry Pootel Sat, 15 Sep 2012 04:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1532948 If you cut in late, you'll think you are watching some Sumo wrestler's butt... If you cut in late, you’ll think you are watching some Sumo wrestler’s butt…

]]> By: Boundegar http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1532937 Boundegar Sat, 15 Sep 2012 04:01:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1532937 That's terminal velocity for the human body.  It's faster for a brick, and slower for a feather.  I'll bet the camera has a faster terminal velocity, but I haven't run the numbers. That’s terminal velocity for the human body.  It’s faster for a brick, and slower for a feather.  I’ll bet the camera has a faster terminal velocity, but I haven’t run the numbers.

]]> By: KBert http://boingboing.net/2012/09/14/gopro-camera-captures-free-fal.html#comment-1532919 KBert Sat, 15 Sep 2012 03:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=181087#comment-1532919  2:38 - 2:40: fun to pause as often as possible!  2:38 – 2:40: fun to pause as often as possible!

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