“Look together with your eyes, not your fingers” is one thing many people have heard whereas rising up, however that doesn’t apply to the touch-sensitive microscope [Steve Mould] received to play with.

The wand-like gadget is made by Gelsight, and as a substitute of an optical lens like a traditional microscope, it sports activities a gel pad on the sensing finish. By squashing an object into the gel, the gadget is ready to rigorously illuminate and picture the impression created. By taking a number of photos lit from totally different angles, a variety of info will be extracted.

The result’s a high-resolution magnification — albeit a monochromatic one — that conveys depth extraordinarily effectively. It’s fairly neat clearly seeing tiny specks of mud or lint current on surfaces when [Steve] demonstrates imaging issues like coin cells.

Many a hacker is aware of that the satan is within the particulars in terms of executing an concept. Even so, the fundamental ideas of the Gelsight appear easy sufficient and probably throughout the realm of impressed DIY in the identical approach that we noticed a CNC gantry and USB microscope repurposed as an optical comparator.

Watch the Gelsight in motion within the video beneath, embedded beneath the web page break.