The Project, Currently...
The first Prototype has been developed, tested and named AutoStage.
Prototype II is constructed and set-up begins.
Improvements are: improved focus mechanism; improved lighting (LEDs); smaller; lighter; far superior wide-angle microscope - camera and lens improvements. The high magnification microscope has a smaller camera but uses the same sensor.
This prototype sits in a cube about 300x300x450mm and can be supported by one hand. The height may be reduced by further development. There is an extra 'electronics' box (not shown at present) but also very small and light.
It is an aim that this system will have improved pollen locating capability (both in hardware and software) with an improved and faster focusing scheme to improve time to analyse a slide while obtaining greater consistency in focus. Increasing depth of field by 'stitching' in-focus parts of a series of images will be trialled. 
A slide sampling scheme, improving on the way palynologists sample slides at present with the added advantage of automation, is being trialled
This is in contrast to counting the entire slide which was done for the first series of tests.
Images of Pollen from AutoStage:
AutoStage images of pollen (pine, pine, birch,grass and wattle - from left to right)
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