How does motion magnification help predict infrastructure damage?
Overview of modern technology used to measure vibrations in building materials.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.The Delta Queen, a modern steamboat offering passenger cruises on the Mississippi River.
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © LittleAdventures/Dreamstime.comOverview of tankers carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG).
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzEfforts to reduce the noise generated by a helicopter's rotor blades.
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Sborisov/Dreamstime.comStudying the effects of local construction on the Colosseum, Rome.
News •
Inside this quantum computer, memory vibrates like a guitar string
• Nov. 11, 2026, 9:36 PM ET (Science Daily)
Transcript
Have you ever felt your house shake?
Was it from wind and rain, or an earthquake?
Maybe it simply was from heavy machinery operating nearby? Even if you don't feel it, the infrastructure all around you absorbs these subtle vibrations every day.
How do you know if there was any structural damage too small to see? Traditionally, scientists have relied on laser vibrometers and accelerometers to detect and inspect the damage.
But these technologies, which examine existing infrastructure in real time, are expensive. Now scientists are developing motion magnification--a technology that allows them to predict how infrastructure will respond to vibrations.
Motion magnification first captures high-speed video of a structure, or of the model of a structure. Scientists determine the frequency of the vibration at zero magnification.
Then, they magnify the video to see how the vibrations affect the structure at different frequencies.
The structure changes shape depending on the frequency of the vibration!
The data from motion magnification technology matches that from the expensive traditional technologies, but at a much lower cost!
With this inexpensive technology, scientists can ensure the safety of infrastructure in more places around the world.
Was it from wind and rain, or an earthquake?
Maybe it simply was from heavy machinery operating nearby? Even if you don't feel it, the infrastructure all around you absorbs these subtle vibrations every day.
How do you know if there was any structural damage too small to see? Traditionally, scientists have relied on laser vibrometers and accelerometers to detect and inspect the damage.
But these technologies, which examine existing infrastructure in real time, are expensive. Now scientists are developing motion magnification--a technology that allows them to predict how infrastructure will respond to vibrations.
Motion magnification first captures high-speed video of a structure, or of the model of a structure. Scientists determine the frequency of the vibration at zero magnification.
Then, they magnify the video to see how the vibrations affect the structure at different frequencies.
The structure changes shape depending on the frequency of the vibration!
The data from motion magnification technology matches that from the expensive traditional technologies, but at a much lower cost!
With this inexpensive technology, scientists can ensure the safety of infrastructure in more places around the world.
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