New Software for Motion Analysis

Vibration analysis solution WaveCam is the perfect tool for non-contact and high-resolution vibration measurement

Which components of a car engine move? How does the string of a violin vibrate? Answers are provided by the new WaveCam vibration analysis software from gfai tech. Wavecam makes the smallest vibrations visible with motion magnification - with clear results and simple interpretation options.

With WaveCam, gfai tech is expanding its portfolio with another software tool in the field of structural dynamics. The new WaveCam enables fully automatic, unique data extraction of vibration displacements exclusively from video data. The motion analysis is realized by an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, which is used to calculate the so-called optical flow for image processing.

"Minimal movements on building structures often go unnoticed by us. Our WaveCam analysis tool amplifies the supposedly invisible vibrations and makes them visible to the human eye," explains Philip Höhna, Managing Director of gfai tech. Even fast vibrations cannot be perceived by the human eye and thus remain hidden. "Every single pixel of the video recording from the measurement object is an individual sensor. WaveCam tracks each pixel over a specified period of time and visualizes the vibration process," adds Höhna. Hundreds of thousands of positions are measured simultaneously. The movement is amplified by software and animated in a 2D model.

In addition to the analysis software and a laptop, only a camera is needed for the measurement. A high-speed camera is suitable for higher frequencies, for low frequencies the recordings with a smartphone are sufficient. Duration of the analysis: Only a few minutes. Complex measurement setups with a large number of vibration sensors as well as costly measurement techniques are a thing of the past. With the help of the WaveCam analysis software, changes in the dynamics of structures such as bridges or buildings can be perceived. This increases safety and service life. Maintenance and damage detection of machines and structures are also simplified.

Homogeneous, single-color objects such as steel plates can also be analyzed. These must be prepared in advance with a high-contrast film in a chess pattern look - this is the only way to distinguish between the individual pixels. All common video formats can be used for data extraction.