My 3D printer as microscope

[Jos Richters]

In these images I show how I build my microscope for my Physarum polycephalum images and video's.

I started with printing the microscope appliances that can hold the petri dishes. I also printed a contraption to hold the USB camera strapped to the printer head of the 3D printer.

On the laptop is an installation application (CURA) to control the 3D printer in the X,Y and Z position.

And also the (standard) Microsoft application "Camera".

The camera is an USB cam, connected thru USB with the laptop and can be controlled by either CURA for positioning and Camera for controlling imaging. These USB camera's are relative cheap and can be obtained in various webshops.

The Camera application is able to take pictures and movies and also has an interval timer for time lapsing.

view a video here: https://youtu.be/wz67qXJP44E

The yellow lines are the so called “protoplasmic tubes”.

See my blog on BLOB-Art how I use these to test on conductive properties.