Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Tracking The 6-Dof Flight Trajectory Of Windborne Debris Using Stereophotogrammetry, Chaman Sabharwal, Yanlin Guo

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Numerous post-windstorm investigations have reported that windborne debris can cause costly damage to the envelope of buildings in urban areas under strong winds (e.g., during hurricanes or tornados). Thus, understanding the physics of debris flight is of critical importance. Previously developed numerical models describing debris flight physics have not been validated for the complex urban flow environment; such a validation requires experimentally measuring the debris flight trajectory in wind tunnel tests. In this context, this paper proposes a debris measurement algorithm using stereophotogrammetry. This algorithm aims to determine the six-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) trajectory and velocity of flying debris, addressing the research …