Foldscope: The microscope that will only set you back $1

Foldscope aims to distribute one million microscopes by 2017

Microscopes have traditionally remained confined to science labs courtesy their bulky size and cost. Well, this is about to change with Foldscope -- a portable paper microscope that costs only $1.



The affordable microscope has been designed by Manu Prakash and Jim Cybulski of Stanford University who aim to promote equal access to scientific tools. The founders have also distributed 50,000 Foldscopes to kids and teachers in over 130 countries for free.

PHOTO: FOLDSCOPE

Foldscope features a 140x borosilicate lens that allows it to have a magnification and a 2 micron resolution sufficient for imaging live individual cells, cellular organelles, swimming bacteria and much more. The design also allows it to have three different viewing modes. These include the eye-view which is similar to a conventional microscope, a smartphone mode that makes it compatible with a smartphone cameras and a projection mode that uses an external flashlight to project a large image on a surface.

PHOTO: FOLDSCOPE

The Foldscope founders describe their mission as providing curiosity- driven science for everyone. “We strongly believe that curiosity is sparked by genuine "aha" moments. By unshackling microscopes from lab benches and making them affordable for everyone, we can all start seeing the microscopic world which defines our health, our built environment and almost all the magic we call life.”



After receiving an overwhelming response to the initial units, Foldscope now wants to release 1 million of its portable microscopes the world over. Foldscope started its campaign on Kickstarter 23 days ago and has received $184,509 in pledges, well over its original goal of $50,000.