Many educational institutions lack the opportunity to utilize digital microscopy without access to funding. These challenging circumstances force students to rely on written descriptions and hand-drawn imaging to depict their microscopic data. And for those institutions that do have access to funds, the learning curve for using traditional microscopic equipment can be a frustrating experience.
The modern microscope is a complex optical instrument. Despite digital advances, the microscope has remained relatively similar in design since its development nearly 400 years ago. The smartphone, however, is arguably the pinnacle of modern technology, merging a portable computer with a high-resolution digital camera.
The widescale application of the smartphone microscope adaptor is vast. Perhaps the most significant impact is its ability to engage students. Removing the barriers of traditional use microscopes—cost, user engagement, and functionality—makes the OpenOcular smartphone adaptor invaluable.
By combining UX design with cost-effective functionality, the OpenOcular smartphone adaptor is a highly effective, multi-disciplinary educational tool for exploring a diversity of digital microscopy.
