This phone-attached polarizing microscope fits in your pocket… And your budget

Carrying a polarized microscope in your pocket sounds too good to be true. Yet, here we are. Meet the iMicro Q3p, a Kickstarter-backed gadget designed to bring microscopic magnification to your smartphone. With its impressive capabilities and an affordable price, you can now turn your phone into a microscope in a jiffy.

The Q3p builds upon the features of the iMicro Q3 introduced late last year. It can magnify objects to a sub-micron level—less than one micron. To put that into perspective, the average human hair is about 70 microns thick, while a red blood cell measures around eight microns. Pairing this optical prowess with your smartphone’s digital magnification yields an astonishing 1200x enlargement.

What makes the Q3p even more compelling is its inclusion of a polarizer. Like the earlier Q2p model, this addition allows users to enhance contrast and color when viewing birefringent materials such as crystals and minerals. By controlling how light interacts with these substances, the polarizer brings out details that would otherwise be invisible.

At just half an inch in size and weighing under 0.5 grams, the Q3p is incredibly portable. It attaches to your smartphone camera with thousands of nano-sized suction cups—similar to a gecko’s foot—ensuring compatibility with any device. It’s also residue-free and reusable, making it ideal for shared use.

The Q3p comes with a focusing stand for fine-tuned adjustments at high magnifications, stored in a card-sized case for ultimate portability. It also includes a stage micrometer for precise measurements, compatible with the i-Seeing app. This makes the Q3p a cost-effective alternative to bulky desktop microscopes, unlocking comparable performance for a fraction of the cost and effort.

Availability and pricing

Priced at just CA$55 (around $39) on Kickstarter, the Q3p has already garnered significant attention, raising over $201,279with 24 days left in its campaign as of today. Whether you’re a student, researcher, or simply curious, the Q3p offers endless possibilities right from your smartphone.

Disclaimer: We only share crowdfunded projects we believe are legitimate. However, most of those projects are not in a delivery state. Make sure you look into the project and make an informed purchasing decision. While some projects may offer amazing rewards, others unfortunately may not deliver on their promises.

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