Low-Cost Apparatus for Gigapixel Scale Tree Core Imaging
Affordable lab equipment used for dendrochronology research is being developed using common off-the-shelf parts and an Arduino. It is a device that automates the process of taking gigapixel-scale images of tree core samples. A professional camera such as a Canon is controlled through a GUI which manages the focus of the lense. This GUI interface also allows the user to control a couple of servos that pan the camera horizontally and vertically. By using the software tools to configure the hardware, the device is able to utilize the camera to take multiple gigapixel-scale images as it moves across the tree core sample. The same software then collects and sorts the images in order to create a composite image. This composite image is then used and analyzed for researchers to learn more about the different periods and the type of atmospheric and climate conditions through the tree rings present in the image. By creating an affordable device that collects high-quality images at the fraction of the price of current lab equipment (which would cost approximately 50,000 dollars), this device can be used in labs around the world due to its accessibility.