The Scope-On-A-Rope (SOAR) is a hand-held video microscope that can display images on a computer, projector,
or television screen.
It has interchangeable lenses that can magnify objects over two hundred times actual
size. Each lens has an array of LED lights and comes with a contact tip that is at
the focal plane of the lens, therefore, simply touching a sample with the lens tip
produces an image that is well-lit and in focus; little to no specimen preparation
is necessary.
The SOAR is easy to use, compact, and durable. With its interchangeable lenses and
stands, the SOAR serves many functions—it can be used as a video camera, dissecting
microscope, compound microscope, and document camera. Since the images are displayed
on a screen, an entire class of students can see magnified images at once for expanded
teaching opportunities.
Some examples of how teachers have used the SOAR in their classrooms include: observing
plant and animal structures, viewing aquatic microorganisms and cells, analyzing soil,
sand, and rocks, measuring objects on a small scale, inspiring students to create
artworks and to write creatively, and exploring the anti-counterfeiting features in
U.S. currency.
Identifying diatoms in an LSU geology course using 200x lens of SOAR
Viewing a crab on a sea urchin wiht 1x lens of SOAR mounted in stand
Students looking at a snake skin with 30x lens of SOAR