Motorized Microscope Stage use for video

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Tom Jones
Posts: 326
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 2:05 am
Location: Crestline, CA

Motorized Microscope Stage use for video

Post by Tom Jones »

I'm considering getting a motorized stage and joy stick and am curious to know how sensitive and smooth I can expect one to be in panning. I would like to be able to chase moving subjects using the joy stick, so the system needs to be smooth, easily and rapidly variable in speed to that I can pan in any direction to follow the organism.

I've made a couple of greased gliding stages that work well, but often require two hands to move smoothly. That leaves me one hand short for focusing!

Does anyone have experience with stages like Prior or Ludl with joy stick control?

I also want to be able to program the system to automatically scan slides for panorama/whole slide work, but I'm pretty sure any of them can be programmed to do that.

aidanmoore
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2015 8:09 am
Location: Toronto

Post by aidanmoore »

Hi,

I'm using a Prior Proscan 2 controller connected to a XY joystick and motorized stage.

Here's a link to an overpriced example of the controller for sale on eBay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/PRIOR-PROSCAN- ... SwkoleKiPN

As the joystick control is moved further from the center position the X/Y velocity increases, so, yes it's good for video and tracking slow moving protozoa, but you wouldn't be able to track a fast moving cyclops, for instance.

This particular controller is also supported in the Micromanager project so there is free Windows/Linux code to control it from a PC.

Another approach is to build your own XY table by using some instructions from this site (search "Stitch and Stack").

I'm currently building on the trinamic platform described elsewhere here with a Raspberry Pi and a XBox controller to create my own inexpensive wireless joystick controlled XY table. I'll post some pics and videos soon.

So it really depends on whether you want a do-it-yourself project or a more costly turnkey solution. It's really a money vs time decision.
Custom Nikon/Thorlabs Microscope Nikon Z7ii ZCAM E4

dolmadis
Posts: 899
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:51 pm
Location: UK

Post by dolmadis »

aidanmoore wrote:I'm currently building on the trinamic platform described elsewhere here with a Raspberry Pi and a XBox controller to create my own inexpensive wireless joystick controlled XY table. I'll post some pics and videos soon.

So it really depends on whether you want a do-it-yourself project or a more costly turnkey solution. It's really a money vs time decision.
I am glad this has come up as I am very interested in your X Box Controller solution.

BR


John

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