| Interactive
Primary Newsletter 28 Digital Microscopes |
| Intel
QX-3 & MOTIC Digiscope
The Intel QX-3 is an inexpensive digital and video microscope marketed by a number of education equipment suppliers. The Intel QX3 Digital Microscope Initiative began at the University of Virginia in an attempt to identify ways of enhancing classroom instruction and enquiry-based learning in science. Although introduced originally in 1998 as a toy, its ease of use and the capture of still and video images for display on the computer, were seen as potentially useful in the classroom. It is of a novel design, packaged in a blue plastic outer body with a moulded specimen stage and integral sub stage and top stage lighting. There is no eyepiece. All viewing is via a computer and screen. The QX-3 is thus a significant departure from conventional school microscope designs. Figure 1 Intel QX3 ‘digital’ microscope As part of ‘Science Year’, secondary schools in Scotland were offered an Intel QX-3 to enhance work in S1-S2. Many of these, we believe, were passed on to local primary schools. We judge then, that a lot of schools will at least have seen or be aware of this microscope. We also know that it has been used successfully in a number of schools. One reason given for the QX-3 not being used at first was that many primary schools hold Apple Macintosh computers and only PC software was available. This is no longer the case. A CD with Mac software is now available. This Mac software, at £45, may be somewhat expensive for primary level. This sum, however, provides a school site licence. Since there is no eyepiece, there can be no optical magnification as such.
Approximate magnifications of 10X, 60X, even 200X are displayed directly
PC software (on CD ROM), instruction booklet and slides are supplied as standard (Figure 2). Unlike the QX-3, the Digiscope can be used as a stand-alone microscope featuring a 20X to 100X manual zoom lens. The image quality is good and on lower magnifications there is a fair depth of focus. The camera plugs directly into a PC or Mac via a USB cable and can be used with desktops, laptops and projection devices. The camera replaces the microscope eyepiece and the cable is permanently attached to the camera. Figure 3 Motic microscope without digital camera - move mouse pointer over graphic to see Figure 4 - the microscope in 'Digiscope' mode. A stage with moulded-in stage clips is used for viewing regular microscope slides, and there is also a reversible whole object stage. There is a quaintly named ‘swimming pool’ feature which is ideal for studying pond water. The whole objects stage is great for studying bugs, leaves, small rocks or other solid specimens (although lighting is not all it might be - see below).
Figure 5 Motic user guide and software CD Superbright LED bulbs powered by three AAA dry cells provide incident and transmitted illumination (top and bottom). The intensity control function allows an observer to choose the illumination level that works best for them. |
on
a computer screen. Focussing, also, is carried out on screen. This can be
difficult with all but the lowest magnification, of which more later. The
on-screen display should help in initiating group discussion as everyone is
looking at the same specimen. Images can be captured as stills, movies or time
lapse videos. The QX-3 plugs directly into the computer via a USB (universal
serial bus) cable permanently attached to the microscope. Power is drawn from
the computer both to operate the camera and provide top and bottom
illumination of the microscope stage.
Figure 2 QX3 guide and CD ROM
The Motic Play software on CD-ROM
(Figure 5) is powerful, and includes image
capture and manipulation software. With it pupils can capture still images or
video of specimens. If care is taken in setting up calibration, specimens can
be accurately measured in microns, millimetres or inches. As with the QX-3,
images can be captured as stills, movies or videos.
