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Precisometer
Cage-mounted optics on an optical table lit by green and blue laser light

Optics laboratory, UCL Department of Physics & Astronomy, London · Photo: Isabel Llorente Garcia / UCL MAPS · CC BY 2.0

Open hardware. Open software. Reproducible science.

Open instruments you can build, study, and improve.

Complete project files for optical trapping, Raman spectroscopy, and precision positioning—shared so researchers, educators, and makers can start with working foundations.

Explore the projectsBrowse GitHub

Choose a project

Four practical starting points.

Each repository has a clear purpose. Pick the project closest to your goal, then follow its documentation, download the files, or contribute a change.

01Featured

OpenFlexure Optical Tweezers

A photographed build guide, printable parts, and bead tracking for OpenFlexure optical tweezers.

Hardware + software
02Active

Raman Studio

Desktop software for Raman acquisition, calibration, and analysis.

Desktop software
03Early development

Arkin Project

A safer, accessible optical-tweezers platform for learning and research.

Open hardware
04Documented

NEMA 11 Precision Stage

A documented, printable linear stage for low-cost positioning.

Open hardware
OpenFlexure microscope with the printed optical-tweezers module installed and its red laser switched on

Featured project

OpenFlexure Optical Tweezers

Photo: Arkin Project / Ali Azadbakht · CERN-OHL-S v2

01 · Hardware + software

Add optical trapping to an OpenFlexure microscope.

The Arkin Project documents a printed optics module that adds a 1 mW red laser to an OpenFlexure microscope. Follow the photographed build and alignment guide, watch a 3 µm bead being trapped, then explore its motion with Fast Trap Tracker.

Print-ready hardware

STL parts for the modified RMS optics module, dichroic cube, flexure laser holder, and alignment tubes.

Illustrated build guide

Assembly photographs, a bill of materials, and two-point beam alignment with printed flexure adjusters.

Editable CAD

Fusion and STEP assemblies preserve six design generations; OpenSCAD source lets you adapt the alignment tube.

Fast Trap Tracker

Record and track a bead inside OpenFlexure, then estimate trap stiffness with calibrated physical inputs.

Read the build guideDownload the build files

The prototype demonstrates lateral trapping; quantitative force measurements need calibration.

What you need

Plan the hardware build.

  • A working OpenFlexure microscope with Raspberry Pi camera
  • A 3D printer and the published STL parts
  • A 1 mW Class 2 red laser module (635–650 nm) with a regulated supply
  • An infinity-corrected RMS objective with NA ≥ 0.8
  • 17 mm and 50 mm focal-length lenses, plus two dichroic mirrors
Licence: CERN-OHL-S v2, built on the OpenFlexure platform.

Follow the guide’s laser-safety instructions. Installation requires clearance cuts in the printed microscope body and base.

See the build before you start

A practical walkthrough of the complete system.

Try the simulation

02 · Desktop software

Active

Acquire and analyse Raman spectra in one place.

Raman Studio is a cross-platform desktop application for OpenRAMAN spectrometers. It covers the workflow from live acquisition through calibration, processing, and material identification.

  • Live FLIR / Point Grey acquisition with hardware ROI control
  • Baseline removal, Savitzky–Golay smoothing, and peak detection
  • Wavelength calibration using known emission lines
  • Reference-library matching and Mol2Raman prediction
Stack
Python · PySide6
Formats
SPC · CSV · RSPC
Licence
CERN-OHL-W v2
Open repositoryRead the Raman guide
Comparison of Raman spectra measured at 532, 638, and 785 nanometres

From signal to an answer

Process spectra, calibrate the wavelength axis, and compare against a reference library.

Open hardware in development

Build the instrument—or one precise part of it.

The Arkin platform covers the complete optical-tweezers system. Its NEMA 11 stage is also documented as a useful standalone module.

Early development

03 · Arkin Project

Optical tweezers for education and citizen science.

An open optical-trapping microscope designed to work with the OpenFlexure and openUC2 ecosystems. The project focuses on an accessible build, lower-risk visible lasers, and reusable components.

The repository includes

  • Optical layout and baseline specifications
  • Printable OpenFlexure and openUC2 adapters
  • Motorised XY / XYZ stage files and bill of materials
  • Python particle-tracking and force-detection scripts

Hardware: CERN-OHL-S v2 · Software: GPL-3.0-or-later

Open on GitLab
Documented

04 · NEMA 11 precision stage

A printable linear axis for about €15 in mechanical parts.

A NEMA 11 stepper drives an M3 lead screw through a printed 1:1 gear pair. Use one module as a linear stage or combine two for XY motion.

Finished open-source NEMA 11 geared precision stage
Travel range
50 mm
Linearity
R² = 0.978
Controller
UNO R4 + TMC2209
Files
STL · CAD · CSV
Measured honestly: this is an open-loop stage, not a nanometre positioner. Printed-body and M3-thread compliance dominate below roughly 2.5–4 µm.

Hardware licence: CERN-OHL-S v2

View files and test data

How to contribute

Useful contributions start small.

You do not need to redesign an instrument. A clear issue, corrected instruction, measured result, or build photo can move a project forward.

  1. 01

    Choose a repository

    Read its scope, licence, and current documentation.

  2. 02

    Build or test

    Reproduce a result and record what worked or failed.

  3. 03

    Share the evidence

    Open an issue or merge request with clear context.

Build in the open

Use the files. Question the design. Share what you learn.

Start from a repository, or contact us if you are unsure which project fits your work.

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