Micro GigaPan Technology
The Micro GigaPan System provides an innovative set of capture, image processing, and online sharing tools for a diverse range of disciplines. The system includes hardware instrumentation to efficiently capture the full depth of field of a wide range of subject with microscopic detail, advanced image processing software to deliver the highest quality and resolution images seen to date, and online sharing tools that enable community-based discoveries and exploration. The complete system has been successfully prototyped and our development plan is focused on refinement of the system, beta testing, and commercialization of the final system to meet the broad and diverse research and education community.
Using a common software base, Micro GigaPan provides three ways to capture imagery...
| Provides a complete solution to rapidly image a wide range of subjects at microscopic resolution. |
The Micro GigaPan Imager is the premiere instrument for imaging complete subjects with microscopic detail and depth of field. The Imager provides everything necessary to complete the imaging process including the necessary robotics for precise positioning of the subject, integrated camera and lighting system, automated image capture tools, image processing software, and online tools for viewing, analysis, and sharing of the resulting imagery. The system is designed to be easily used and requires minimal oversight and effort to image the subjects.
The current prototype utilizes the base motion control infrastructure provided by the Probotix Fireball V90 CNC System. Special thanks Len Shelton and Probotix for their engineering support!
|
Prototype version of Imager |
|
| Enables existing microscopes with motorized stages. |
The Micro GigaPan Microscope Enabler provides software added to existing scanning electron and high-end optical microsope systems which already integrate motorized x/y/z motion stages, automating the capture of multiple views to interface with the Micro GigaPan software system.
|
micro GigaPan Enabled microscope |
|
Low-cost hardware kit enabling microscopes without motorized stages. |
| The Micro GigaPan Adapter Kit provides a very-low-cost hardware to automate image capture from existing optical microscopes likely to be found in universities and secondary education. |
Prototype version of Adaptation Kit |
|
A common software base is used to create seamless gigapixel images with full microscopic detail...
Once the microscopic images are captured across the entire width, height, and depth of the specimen, our software processes the images into a single seamless mosaic image. The image processing involves a behind the scenes computation where our focal section merging techniques, parallax correction, and image mosaic stitching software comes together to provide the final image. This processing can be carried out independently from the instrument allowing the researcher to continue imaging specimens while imagery is processed.
Existing image processing tools such as the GigaPan Stitcher provide the backbone for the Micro GigaPan software. The stitcher provides the full process for importing, processing, output of a single full resolution image, and direct uploading of the image to GigaPan.org for viewing and sharing.
Using the GigaPan online tools for sharing, exploration, and discussion...
Using the GigaPan online tools, images can be explored, shared, annotated, discussed, and analyzed. The tools go beyond high resolution image viewing and provide advanced tools for conducting research, developing curriculum, integrating imagery from multiple scales and spectrums, and documenting new discoveries.
Usage patterns at our gigapan.org website demonstrate the utility of community-based authoring, annotation, and sharing. Site users from different locations jointly explore imagery, creating and sharing annotations with one another. The 1000 most popular images at gigapan.org are annotated an average of 26 times each by an average of 9 different authors. In-image annotation can serve as a form of documentation for others, a form of bookmarking for oneself, and a means for engaging others in discussion.
The GigaPan website supports scientific collaboration through joint exploration and annotation. The GigaPan website will also support outreach and broader impacts by giving the public the ability to explore compelling scientific imagery, scaffolded and guided by annotations from scientists.
We see a great potential in further refining the exploration and annotation tools and to include tools for microscopic analysis, annotation, viewing, and sharing. Refinements include capabilities for 1) side by side comparison of imagery, 2) time-lapse viewing tools, 3) scientific measurement and analysis tools, and 4) export options to support use of imagery in research papers, presentations, and websites.
|
