Stuff

    Subscribe to our newsletter

    What's Hot
    Vodacom

    Vodacom launches its ‘Good as New’ refurbished iPhone range

    July 6, 2022
    VS Gaming Weekly

    South African esports gets its own TV show – This is VS Gaming Weekly

    July 6, 2022
    Shanghai

    Shanghai hack sees over 23TB of personal information up for sale

    July 6, 2022
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube SoundCloud
    Trending
    • Vodacom launches its ‘Good as New’ refurbished iPhone range
    • South African esports gets its own TV show – This is VS Gaming Weekly
    • Shanghai hack sees over 23TB of personal information up for sale
    • How Discovery Insure is making people better drivers and saving lives – T2S2
    • Glance is here to absolutely ruin your day. And your lock-screen
    • This is what a 3D-printed lunar base built by autonomous robots might look like
    • Nigeria’s latest lithium find: some key questions answered
    • Asus ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro models announced, will land in SA (eventually)
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Stuff Stuff
    • News
      • App News
      • Business News
      • Camera News
      • Gaming News
      • Headphone News
      • Industry News
      • Internet News
      • Laptops News
      • Motoring News
      • Other Tech News
      • Phone News
      • Tablet News
      • Technology News
      • TV News
      • Wearables News
    • Reviews
      • Camera Reviews
      • Car Reviews
      • Featured Reviews
      • Game Reviews
      • Headphone Reviews
      • Laptop Reviews
      • Other Tech Reviews
      • Phone Reviews
      • Tablet Reviews
      • Wearables Reviews
    • Columns
    • Stuff Guides
    • Podcasts & Videos
      • Videos
      • Stuffed
      • Stuffing Around
      • Tech Byte
      • T2S2
    • Win
    • Subscribe
      • Print
      • Digital
        • Google Play
        • iTunes
        • Download
        • Zinio
    • Stuff Shop
      • Shop Now
      • My Account
      • Downloads
    • Contact Us
      • Get In Touch
      • Advertise
    0 Shopping Cart
    Stuff
    Home » News » Other Tech News » German scientists use Lego (and smartphone components) to create a high-resolution microscope
    News

    German scientists use Lego (and smartphone components) to create a high-resolution microscope

    Brett VenterBy Brett VenterJuly 5, 2021Updated:October 1, 2021No Comments2 Mins Read
    Lego Microscope main
    Image: Timo Betz
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    It’s amazing what you can create with Lego. Yes, there are all sorts of wonderful sets you can buy but fans also just get creative with it. Sometimes you get a full Top Gun trailer made from Lego, other times you get functioning scientific equipment.

    That’s the newest innovation we’ve seen using the iconic Danish brick toy — a working high-resolution microscope, built entirely using Lego — okay, and some smartphone components. The toy-maker doesn’t offer up many high-resolution lenses as part of its kits, after all.

    Lego your ideas of expensive gear

    Image: Timo Betz

    Researchers at the Universities of Göttingen and Münster constructed “…a fully functional, high-resolution microscope with capabilities close to a modern research microscope”, designed to be built and used by kids aged 9 to 13. They went on to detail their findings on The Biophysicist, an online scientific journal.

    The build uses a little under 290 Lego pieces as well as objective lenses — the only parts not made of a very specific sort of plastic. The high-magnification objective lens is a plastic component borrowed from a replacement iPhone 5 camera module, while the low-magnification objective lens is a similarly low-cost glass lens. The whole construct is able to “…resolve even individual cells,” according to its creators.

    Professor Timo Betz, of the University of Göttingen, said, “We hope that this modular microscope will be used in classrooms and homes all over the world to excite and inspire children about science. We have shown that scientific research does not need to be separate from everyday life. It can be enlightening, educational and fun!”

    Want to try and build your own high-end microscope? The researchers have posted their plans for free on GitHub, in a couple of languages, so you can give it a try for yourself. Once you source all the parts, of course.

    featured Lego microscope science smartphone
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email
    Brett Venter

      Related Posts

      Vodacom

      Vodacom launches its ‘Good as New’ refurbished iPhone range

      July 6, 2022
      VS Gaming Weekly

      South African esports gets its own TV show – This is VS Gaming Weekly

      July 6, 2022
      Shanghai

      Shanghai hack sees over 23TB of personal information up for sale

      July 6, 2022

      Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

      In The Mag
      Stuff June-July 2022 Latest Issue

      In This Issue – The Outdoors (June-July 2022) Issue

      By Brett VenterMay 30, 20221

      Once again, we are asking you to check out a new issue of Stuff Magazine.…

      2021 Wish List
      wish list Stuff Wish List 2021

      Stuff Wish List: for the tech impaired

      By Duncan PikeDecember 22, 20210

      Are you from the time before being glued to a smartphone was considered normal? Here’s…

      Wishlist DIY Stuff tech

      Stuff Wish List: for the DIY Diehard

      December 21, 2021
      Wish List Gearhead

      Stuff Wish List: For the petrol-soaked gearhead

      December 20, 2021
      outsiders

      Stuff Wish List: for the Outsiders

      December 17, 2021

      Latest Video

      Sonos

      SONOS Roam SL unboxing by Toby Shapshak

      March 30, 2022
      Mini Cooper

      The Mini Cooper SE Electric with Toby Shapshak

      March 18, 2022
      MSI Crosshair 15 Rainbox Six Extraction Edition unboxing

      MSI Crosshair 15 Rainbox Six Extraction Edition unboxing

      March 16, 2022
      Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Unboxing

      Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra unboxing with Toby Shapshak

      March 16, 2022
      Contact

      South Africa's Consumer Tech News Hub

      General: [email protected]
      Subscriptions: [email protected] or 087 353 1291
      Editorial: 072 735 2614
      Sales: 083 375 2418

      Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube SoundCloud

      Subscribe to Updates

      • Terms and Conditions
      • Privacy & POPI
      • My account
      © 2022 Stuff Group. Designed by Chronon.

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.