Application of video photogrammetry to analyse mechanical systems in the undergraduate physics laboratory

In this paper, we show the usefulness of video photogrammetry techniques in analysing three-dimensional (3D) motions in the undergraduate physics laboratory. Using video data, recorded from a couple of synchronized cameras, and adequate data processing software, the main features of 3D movement such as spatial trajectory, velocity and acceleration may be accurately measured. Moreover, this method allows us to corroborate the law of mechanical energy conservation, as well as to test the differential equation that governs the dynamics of a mechanical system. As an example, the 3D trajectory of a spherical pendulum has been analysed, showing the possibilities of the proposed technique to improve the empirical study of some mechanical systems in an undergraduate context.