3D-Printed Gadget Lets Kids Turn Smartphone into Microscope
The LudusScope
looks similar to a standard microscope, but can be docked with a smartphone. Kids can turn the field of view into a game to make science interactive.
Credit: Ingmar Riedel-Kruse
A 3D-printed smartphone microscope system is making microbiology interactive by allowing schoolkids to experiment and play games with light-seeking microbes.
The so-called LudusScope borrows its name from the Latin word "ludus," which means "play," "game" or "elementary school." The device looks similar to a standard microscope, but can be docked with a smartphone and features LED lights controlled with a joystick. Students use these to influence the swimming direction of Euglena microbes, which exhibit characteristics of both plants and animals because they feed like animals but photosynthesize like plants.
A companion smartphone app allows kids to track individual microbes by tapping on them on the screen. Features like scale bars, speed readings and grid overlays help users take measurements of things they see in the field of view. The app also comes with games that let students track microbes while attempting to guide them around a "Pac-Man"-style maze or use them to score goals on a simulated soccer pitch. [Gift Ideas for Kids: Best Educational Toys & Games] https://www.livescience.com/56540-3d-printed-smartphone-microscope.html
