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IMp: The customizable LEGO(®) Pinned Insect Manipulator.

Steen Dupont1, Benjamin Price1, Vladimir Blagoderov2

  • 1Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, U.K.

Zookeys
|February 17, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

We developed an affordable, modular LEGO® pinned insect manipulator (IMp) with adjustable movement and rotation. This customizable device is easy to assemble, catering to various insect specimen sizes without special tools.

Keywords:
DigitizationEntomologyImagingSpecimen ManipulatorStage

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Area of Science:

  • Entomology
  • Robotics
  • Mechanical Engineering

Background:

  • Pinned insect specimens are crucial for taxonomic and biodiversity research.
  • Existing manipulation tools can be expensive, complex, or lack adaptability for diverse specimen sizes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a novel, low-cost, and modular pinned insect manipulator (IMp) constructed from LEGO® bricks.
  • To demonstrate the adaptability and ease of assembly of the IMp for various research needs.

Main Methods:

  • Construction of a base IMp using LEGO® building bricks, incorporating two axes of movement and two axes of rotation.
  • Development of three variants to showcase modularity and customization for different specimen scales.
  • Assembly process designed to require no specialist tools or knowledge.

Main Results:

  • The IMp offers precise control with two axes of movement and two axes of rotation.
  • Modular design allows for easy resizing to accommodate a wide range of pinned insect specimens.
  • The manipulator is fully customizable, collapsible, affordable, and simple to assemble.

Conclusions:

  • The LEGO®-based pinned insect manipulator provides an accessible and versatile solution for researchers.
  • Its modular and customizable nature makes it suitable for diverse entomological applications.
  • This innovative tool lowers barriers to specimen manipulation in scientific research.