A new “motion microscope” reveals tiny changes in objects—and people—that appear to be stock-still
The first microscopes, in the 1500s and 1600s, transformed glass panes that looked completely transparent into a universe teeming with bacteria, cells, pollen and intricate crystals. These visionary aids were the first devices to show people that there were cells within a drop of blood. Since then, microscopes have opened up other invisible worlds for scientists, going within cells or down to the scale of atoms.
We believe a new kind of microscope is about to unveil another fascinating new world: a world of motion and color change too minute for the eye to catch. Blood pulsing through one's face makes it redder and then lighter, the wind can cause construction cranes to sway by a tiny amount, and a baby's breathing is often too subtle too be seen. These movements are almost unimaginably small, yet their importance looms large. They can reveal the state of our health or the vibrations of a crucial machine about to fail. With our students and collaborators, we have developed what we call a motion microscope, a tool that couples a video camera with specialized computation. Together they amplify movements in people and objects that seem, to the naked eye, to be standing absolutely still.
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