[1] Later, he was admitted at the age of seventeen to membership of the French Academy of Sciences, he was elected in 1696 a fellow of the Royal Society of London, and became maître des comptes in 1706.

[4] While some credit him with developing original work on the topic, others argue that he built upon the ideas of earlier scientists.

It is difficult to determine the extent of Cassini's original contributions, as the available historical records are vague and incomplete.

However, subsequent work on ballistic pendulums by Benjamin Robins (1707–1751), a British mathematician and engineer, suggests that he independently repeated many of the same results.

The device allowed for the measurement of the velocity of projectiles, which was important for the development of more accurate firearms and artillery.