The Insect Photography Rig

Team Members:
Rob Leveille,EE '07
Brendan Kemp, CSE '07
Nafis Azad, EE '08

Team Faculty Advisor: Professor Massimo V. Fischetti

Project Summary

The insects kingdom is a fascinating group of organisms. An estimated 2 million species of insects exist, and less than half of those are documented. One of the difficulties of studying flying insects is their speed and agility make it difficult to draw or photograph them without capturing and killing them. This method precludes natural depiction within the habitat, removing the insect from the context within which it should be studied.We could overcome this problem if we had a camera with sufficiently fast response to photograph insects mid-flight. Such a system would give scientists the benefit of natural depictions for study. The complex and striking nature of the subject might also yield beautiful photographs.