Blips aren’t the only add-on lenses to turn a smartphone into a microscope. With an ultra-thin size, high levels of magnification, and ultra-clear optics, though, it just may offer the best solution for anyone on the hunt for a low-cost magnification system.
Designed for easy installation, the lenses are integrated into a thin strip that looks like a small piece of tape. Using electrostatic charge, the strip can easily be taped over your smartphone camera’s existing lens, immediately turning it into a powerful digital microscope. Even better, they can be removed and reapplied at any time, making for a truly handy tool for students, amateur scientists, and micro-photography enthusiasts.
Two lenses come in each pack of Blips – a 0.5mm macro lens for observing minuscule objects in motion (like alien bacteria) and a 1.2mm micro lens for high levels of magnification. Because the lenses are so thin, you don’t even have to remove them from your phone, as it can still slip into your pants pocket without any extra bulge. It can work with any brand or model of smartphone, although the actual magnification will depend on how the phone camera’s sensor and lenses are configured, with the macro getting up to 15x magnification and the micro providing up to 30x.
Do note, you’ll need to clean both the phone camera and the add-on lenses after a few uses to ensure both high levels of adherence and maximum clarity. When not in use, the lenses can be kept in the included storage card, which is sized to fit conveniently in a wallet’s card pouch.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running to fund Blips. Pledges to reserve a unit starts at €20.