became possible. For instance, GPUs can be used to speed up substantially the direct of Fourier transform based correlations of single interrogation windows. Similarly multi-processing, parallel or multi-threading processes on several CPUs or multi-core CPUs are beneficial for the distributed processing of multiple interrogation windows or multiple images. Some of the applications use real time image processing methods, such as FPGA based on-the-fly image compression or image processing. More recently, the PIV real time measurement and processing capabilities are implemented for the future use in active flow control with the flow based feedback. Applications PIV has been applied to a wide range of flow problems, varying from the flow over an aircraft wing in a wind tunnel to vortex formation in prosthetic heart valves. 3-Dimensional techniques have been sought to analyze turbulent flow and jets. Rudimentary PIV algorithms based on cross-correlation can be implemented in a matter of hours, while more sophisticated algorithms may require a significant investment of time. Several open source implementations are available. Application of PIV in the US education system has been limited due to high price and safety concerns of industrial research grade PIV systems. Granular PIV: velocity measurement in granular flows and avalanches PIV can also be used to measure the velocity field of the free surface and basal boundary in a granular flows such as those in shaken containers, tumblers and avalanches. This analysis is particularly well-suited for nontransparent media such as sand, gravel, quartz, or other granular materials that are common in geophysics. This PIV approach is called “granular PIV.” The set-up for granular PIV differs from the usual PIV setup in that the optical surface structure which is produced by illumination of the surface of the granular flow is already sufficient to detect the motion. This means one does not need to add tracer particles in the bulk material. See also Digital image correlation Hot-wire anemometry Laser Doppler velocimetry Molecular tagging velocimetry Particle tracking velocimetry Bibliography Notes References Katz, J.; Sheng, J. (2010). "Applications of Holography in Fluid Mechanics and Particle Dynamics". Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics. 42: 531-555. Bibcode: doi:10.1146/annurev-fluid-121108-145508. External links PIV research at the Laboratory for Experimental Fluid Dynamics (J. Katz lab) Measurement Fluid dynamics