Bioengineer Manu Prakash and his research team at Stanford University have created a lightweight, flat printed microscope that costs less than a dollar to produce.
The Foldscope can provide over “2,000X magnification”, and it does not require batteries to function.
It is printed on a flat sheet of paper coated with a thin layer of plastic, making it sturdy.
To use, simply fold along the printed lines on the paper—much like how you would create an origami piece.
In a TEDTalk video podcast, Prakash said that he “would love for (kids) to be able to just print out a Foldscope and carry them around in their pockets.”
[via Goats and Soda, images by Foldscope ]