Bevel brings another dimension to smartphone photography

 

Bevel is a 3D photography attachemnt that works with both iOS and Android devices Image Gallery (7 images) Sticking with what it knows, Toronto-based Matter and Form has created Bevel, an accessory that turns smartphones and tablet into 3D cameras. Unlike the 3D Scanner the team released last year, Bevel isn't specifically intended for creating detailed 3D models of objects for 3D printing or animating, but for capturing everyday events that can then be shared in 3D. Bevel connects to iOS or Android devices via the headphone jack and allows users to capture three-dimensional images without much more effort than taking your standard photograph. The device packs an eye-safe laser which the photographer pans over the subject to capture depth information, while the mobile device's camera takes a photo as normal. The optimum subject distance is currently around 1 m (3.3 ft), the the team is looking to bring the capability to capture buildings and even entire cities in a future release. The resulting image can then be viewed within the Bevel app and the company’s app, Cashew, which allow users to share 3D photos in places like Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Pinterest. Images can be rotated within the apps to can get just the right angle and can also be turned into animated GIFs or saved to be used later in an animation or 3D printing project –although the team says it is still ironing out the details on exactly how 3D printing compatibility will work. The choice of device to pair with Bevel will make a difference to image quality, with Matter and Form recommending a device with an accelerometer and a gyroscope, and Kit-Kat or higher for Android devices and iOS or higher for iOS devices. Bevel is powered by its own rechargeable battery so won't drain the mobile device it's connected to. As with its 3D Scanner, Matter and Form has prioritized affordability with Bevel and has gone the crowdfunding route to raise funds to get the device into production. The company has passed US$120,000 on the way to the $200,000 campaign goal, with just over three weeks left to run. The minimum pledge amount to reserve a Bevel, charging cable, calibration card, Bevel app and access to Cashew is $49, with deliveries estimated for early next year assuming all goes to plan. Source: Matter and Form, Kickstarter

Smartphone microscope scans blood for parasitic worms in minutes

 

Sliding a smartphone into the base and loading it with a single drop of blood, users can conduct an analysis of the sample in around two minutes   In Africa, the spread of parasitic worms known as Loa loa is seriously hindering the efforts of health care workers to cure particular, rampant diseases. Though there are drugs available to treat both river blindness and lymphatic filariasis, if they are administered to a patient who also happens to also be infected with Loa loa the consequences can be lethal. This is complicated further by the inherent difficulties in screening for the worms, but a newly developed mobile phone microscope needing only a drop of blood to automatically detect the parasite promises to make things a whole lot simpler. For years, a team of researchers at the University of California Berkeley has been refining the CellScope, a mobile phone attachment that repurposes the device as a clinical-grade microscope. The team even recently branched out and launched a commercial product called Oto Home, a cell phone attachment that enables parents to perform ear exams on their children at home. The group's latest offering is dubbed CellScope Loa. It comprises a 3D-printed plastic base fitted out with LED lights, microcontrollers, gears and a USB port. Sliding a smartphone into the base and loading it with a single drop of blood, users can conduct an analysis of the sample in around two minutes. Over Bluetooth, the purpose-built app communicates with the base, running the sample in front of the phone's camera and creating a video. An algorithm then processes the footage, searching for the wriggling worms in action and displaying the total count on screen. "We previously showed that mobile phones can be used for microscopy, but this is the first device that combines the imaging technology with hardware and software automation to create a complete diagnostic solution," says Daniel Fletcher, professor of bioengineering at UC Berkeley who pioneered the CellScope. "The video CellScope provides accurate, fast results that enable health workers to make potentially life-saving treatment decisions in the field." The difference could come in an improved ability of health care workers to determine appropriate courses of action when dealing with patients. River blindness spreads throughout populations through the bites of blackflies, and according to the World Health Organization caused blindness in around 50 percent of males in West African communities. Lymphatic filariasis is spread by mosquitos and causes massive swelling in different parts of the body and a disease known as elephantiasis. Both are highly endemic in parts of Africa. An antiparasitic drug called ivermectin is effective in treating these conditions, though not if patients happen to be infected with Loa loa worms. If levels of Loa loa are high in the patient, the ivermectin can cause severe or even fatal brain damage. What makes CellScope Loa promising is the ability for those on the ground to scan for these worms without needing to lug samples back to the lab. Current detection methods involve a blood smear and lab technicians manually counting the worms under a typical microscope. The team has carried out a pilot study with CellScope Loa in Cameroon, where workers are trying to tackle river blindness and lymphatic filariasis. It was found that it was able to detect the parasitic worms with accuracy equal to conventional methods. These findings are reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine.   Source: UC Berkeley