a robotic arm captures the explosive mixture of soda and mints in stunning slow motion

online creators gav and dan ‘the slow mo guys’ capture the undulating and sculptural slow motion qualities of diet soda mixed with mints. documented in slow motion with a camera mounted to a robotic motion-control arm, the reaction is explosive and highly controlled. while the team’s past shots have been recorded with a stationary camera, this latest experiment is viewed from some more advanced angles at 1000fps. gav comments: ‘unlike other motion-control arms, this one is capable of moving incredibly quickly.’

images by the slow mo guys

for the slow motion experiment, diet soda is used as the aspartame lends a much bigger reaction when combined with mints. in an effort to ensure the most precise timing, the slow mo guys rig a computerized system in which the mints are dropped in dialogue with the camera. the mints are suspended over the soda by a pair of solenoids wired to the triggering system of the robot. perfectly in sync, they are released on frame one of the robot arm’s movements. the result is a vibrant plume of liquid that demonstrates the artful beauty of the physical world in slow motion.