DIY for children. We collect USB microscope

It is unlikely that this device will help you solder chips or consider something serious. But such a self-made microscope will surely please your child, and the assembly process itself is a wonderful opportunity to spend time together and show that papa's hands grow from the right place.



So, sharing leisure with your child for the weekend - we collect a usb microscope from a webcam.
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On Habré already raised an article on how to connect a conventional optical microscope to a computer. There is also a detailed materiel with lenses. Of course, there is an opportunity to buy a ready-made usb microscope in the store, but our task is to show the child a digital microscope device and give a reason for further study of the micro-world.

What we need

1. Webcam
2. Box from the designer (for the case)
3. Glue stick body
4. Cap from the flamaster
5. Night flashlight
Optional: Detalka-stand from Lego-man. This is if: a) it is not a pity, b) there is a desire to connect the microscope to the designer).

Instruments:

6. Hot Melt
7. Double-sided tape on a soft basis
8. Screwdriver
9. Office cutter
10. Mini Jigsaw

Optics:

For the digital stuffing, a 0.3 megapixel Hama webcam was chosen, which was purchased at a sale for 100 rubles.

We disassemble the camera. In general, the principle of a USB microscope is to invert the collecting lens of a webcam and make an magnifying lens out of it that will project the image onto a digital matrix. In our case, 0.3 megapixels represent a tiny square.

We do not need a plastic case, so it can be cut with a jigsaw. The main thing - do not damage the wire. Once finished with the body - you can unscrew the lens.

Unscrew the lens is very simple. But in this form, we do not need it, at least I could not adjust the focus. Therefore, you need to remove the extra lens. The bezel was glued - remove it with a cutter. In some cases, the lens can be sealed - you have to tinker.

After removing the rim - a convex lens is easily removed. Inside this "barrel" was a cylinder, fixing the second lens, which was hidden behind the polarization glass. If you do not fasten the cylinder, the lens will not keep exactly. I used PVA and a toothpick. Now you can collect the camera back.

Make sure that the “barrel” and latch on the chip match exactly. In my case, the thread did not make a single turn. I had to put on hot melt glue. We test to make sure that the microscope works.

There are many services in the network that allow you to broadcast an image from a webcam to a page. For example, here .
Actually on this optical part of the microscope can be considered finished.

Focusing

Let's get to the questions and focus the lens. The first thought is to assemble a mechanism from Lego. It will be great, if only because your child gets a cool magnifying piece that is compatible with its designer.

So, if you don’t feel sorry for the part, glue to the cube. If there is no desire to build a body of Lego - go ahead.

The focus screw is made from glue stick. Satisfactory accuracy and a short step make this detail irreplaceable. It was thought to make a syringe, but there is not even satisfactory accuracy to achieve - too much pressure must be applied to the piston.

A puck with a glue stick sits deep and does not glue our microcircuit directly to it. We add a link - a cap from a felt-tip pen.

Insert the cap from the cap into the washer and fill it with hot melt.

It remains to attach a chip to the cap. It took "Lego-interface". Conveniently, you can always disconnect.

Housing

For a sustainable design, I used a box from the designer. Theoretically, you can make it out of anything. The main thing is to hold the focusing screw from the glue of the pencil vertically, and light from the bottom of the lens beat it. There are already light diodes on the webcam, but the focal length does not allow their light to fall on the preparation. Yes, and from the school course of biology, we remember that you need to send a ray of light through a mirror to illuminate the sample under study. I used a night light. By the way, its surface can be immediately used as a preparation glass.

It remains to cut the case and the hole in the lid for glue-pencil.

Use a jigsaw and a knife. Giving a child to work independently with a knife is not worth it, it is better to help him and do it yourself. I used a screwdriver-drill, for intermediate holes, which were then "connected" with a knife.

Double-sided tape on a soft base and hot melt adhesive will help us to vertically fix the focus screw. In general, I can not imagine how we managed in childhood to do without it. Although, no, I imagine. I poured all the pva.

The microscope is ready! Even the form he remotely began to resemble the real. We connect it to the computer and go to the web interface .

Increase

It remains to learn how to catch the focal length. This is the hardest thing in the whole process! I got it very small (1-3 mm). The screw, while tightening, did not direct the lens strictly vertically - it was dangling from side to side, this also added difficulties. However, the increase was very decent.

1. Wing of a fly
2. fly leg
3. Also a fly leg, but from a different angle.
4. Hair from the head of the author

And this video, shot by the same microscope, but with a 1.2-megapixel camera matrix. Mosquito larva:


Video assembly process:

Budget:

Webcam 100 rubles
Glue stick 20 rubles
Night flashlight 38 rubles
Tools do not count.

Now you know what you can do for yourself and your child on the weekend. Successful experiments!