Building a Fully-Functional Microscope From Lego Bricks and a Camera Module

The idea

For kids, being able to explore scientific concepts and the world around them is vital while they're learning. One great way to accomplish this is through using a microscope, which allows them to view the tiny details in objects such as fibers, electronics, and plant membranes. However, digital microscopes can add some substantial costs, so being able to make one cheaply not only saves money, but also improves a child's engineering and problem-solving skills. This is exactly what one team from Göttingen University, led by Professor Timo Betz, wanted to achieve through the use of Lego bricks and a camera module.

Parts needed

The majority of the microscope is comprised of white Lego bricks, with a base plate being used at the bottom and larger structural pieces around the outside to ensure the entire thing didn't topple over. Two simple acrylic lenses with diameters of 34.5mm and focal lengths of 106mm were combined to produce ocular-style magnified images. There are other lenses that can be swapped in for different levels of magnification and focus. Capturing video was made possible with an iPhone 5 camera module (8MP resolution) that can be purchased for just 2-4 Euros.

Components of a microscope

Microscopes are used to show extremely tiny details in various objects. This project is what's known as a compound microscope, which means it uses two or more lenses to produce a magnified image. There's often one lens located closest to the specimen that's known as the objective lens, and it creates the first magnification. Other lenses are then stacked to change the level of zoom, with the final eyepiece lens (in this case the one on the camera module) capturing the result. This entire assembly can normally be slid up or down to adjust the focus of the object.

Constructing the device

The GitHub repository for this project contains some very detailed instructions for how to build the microscope. Apart from just the guided steps on what pieces to place where, there's also a Discovery Kit that delves into the science of how microscopes work, thus leading to a much better understanding and appreciation of the device.

The base is constructed from a few simple bricks with a simple sliding mechanism for placing and retrieving samples. Above this is the focusing assembly that uses a corkscrew and gears to move the lens housing closer/further away from the object. Finally, the top contains an eyepiece lens that can be swapped for the camera module if desired.

How usable is it?

According to the team's paper on their microscope, children that were able to build and use it had a significantly better understanding of microscopy compared to those that did not. Quite impressively, videos ranging from bugs swimming around in a liquid all the way down to individual cells could be produced, making this not only a fun toy, but also a valuable tool. A large advantage of constructing this microscope from modular parts is the ability to quickly modify the design to make improvements, which the team observed the children doing. They hope their project will be widely used in classrooms and homes to excite kids about science and engineering.

You can read the team's paper with results from their study here.