Method
To obtain our pictures, we used two different types of devices. Both of these devices were based on touch sensor models, which consisted of at least two metal pieces that connect to complete a circuit that would, in turn, discharge the flash. We used two different setups because we needed an image of the balloon after the instant it landed and an image of the balloon on the rebound.
1. Our first device was used to photograph the instant after the balloon landed on the plate so the balloon could compress before triggering the sensor. For this device, we used two metal plates separated by a few pieces of foam around the edges of the metal plates. As the ballon hit, the foam would delay the connection between the plates until the balloon was sufficiently collapsed. The plates would then come into contact, completing the circuit and triggering the flash.
A replica of this device is located below.
The gray rectangles are our metal plates, the fuschia rectanges are the foam, and the black and white lines are the wires that complete the circuit and lead to the flash unit.
2. Our second device was a little more complicated and relied on a little luck. This device was supposed to allow us to see the balloonon the rebound, and was successful in this attempt. We created this device by taking one metal plate, taping a water balloon wrapped in foam to it, and then taping another metal plate on top of the balloon. The foam was there simply to prevent the balloon from bursting. The balloon was there to provide a spring-like effect so that after the balloon hit, the top plate would compress and bounce back up, touching the paperclip. The paperclip was also connected to the bottom plate, so the circuit was completed. This design caused a little trouble because if the balloon did not hit squarely in the center of the trigger, it would bounce off to one side.
A replica of this trigger is located below.
Again, the gray rectangles are the metal plates, the fuschia is foam, and the black and white lines are the wires. The aqua circle is the water balloon that was used as a spring. The pink is the paperclip, which connected the two metal plates to complete the circuit.