A commercial version of the OSOV clamp is now available. The “Cavicam” is a small, compact time-lapse camera based on the Raspberry Pi platform that can be used for imaging xylem and for optical dendrometry.
The latest version of CaviCapture – the command line python script that orchestrates image capture and light control on the raspberry pi – is significantly different from V1, and not only includes a new script for automatically processing the images (CaviProcess.py) (for more info see https://github.com/OpenSourceOV/cavicapture) but also simplifies configuration and is geared for integrating into other systems/processes,…
Instead of transferring captured images from the Pi using a USB stick it’s far more efficient to remotely transfer them over a network connection. First, make sure your Pi and the computer you want to transfer the files to (the local computer) are connected to the same network. Most mobile phones have a ‘Mobile Hotspot’…
As part of an Australia-wide research project, we frequently take our optical setup to remote field stations where continuous power supply isn’t always guaranteed. To cope with the occasional power outage, we are now powering our RaspberryPis through a 12V battery block using an UBEC switching power converter. The battery itself is trickle-charged from a…
We’ve been very excited testing a new 3D printed clamp that allows you to fit any (most?) standard hand lens to use as the magnifier. Although the Moment lens used in the standard clamp provides an excellent image, it only provides 10x magnification which we’re finding is just not quite enough for most stems. With…
The optical method, as the name suggests, is a technique that relies heavily on optics to identify the visible changes that accompany drought stress in plants. These changes occur because light interacts differently with xylem that is water-filled vs air-filled, resulting in a subtle change in brightness that can be captured using a camera or…
There are a number of ways of creating animated GIFs for upload to the OpenSourceOV gallery. Aside from online tools such as http://gifmaker.me/ there are also desktop applications like GIF Toaster for mac or GIF Maker for windows, as well as Adobe Photoshop, but the easiest way is to use ImageJ which you’ll already have installed for processing…
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Acacia dealbata
Stem xylem conduits embolising in Acacia dealbata. Comparison of original, difference and processed stacks. Captured using the new hand-lens clamp.