一種新型顯微鏡能夠掃描并放大任何所觀察物體任何大小和形狀的圖像。即時不光滑的物體也能夠在高倍鏡下進行觀察，因為新掃描活動支架克服了只能觀察玻璃切片上光滑物體的局限。

這種新型全數字系統叫做VersaCAM，能夠對不適合通常顯微鏡觀察的樣本掃描圖像進行觀察分析。這套設備由JMAR技術公司(San Diego, CA, USA)設計并生產，VersaCAM使用精確控制的活動支架定位進行快速掃描，計算機輔助顯微鏡(CAM)能夠自動對焦，起始距離14英寸直至最佳觀察位置，可以按照納米數量級進行增量。

與傳統掃描顯微鏡相比較，這種掃描支架設計提供了較好的可攜帶性，適合產生三維物體的近距離圖像，即使在實驗室以外或者偏遠的野外環境中也可使用。VersaCAM適合幾種不同地顯微鏡。可以配備在傳統的上下視野、倒置視野、或者甚至巨大物質的科學、醫學、或者法醫學樣本。專門軟件配備高清晰度掃描圖像， 在單一、大面積、低倍宏觀圖像。CAM控制允許操作者對所需圖像的任何部分進行放大處理。

“我們將我們的專業知識應用于機器人、光學、以及超精確定位和排列，用以制造高度通用的計算機輔助顯微鏡，”  JMAR公司總裁兼首席執行官Ron Walrod說， “這種顯微鏡能夠用于任何地方任何物體的近距離檢查。”
 
 
Flexible Microscope on a Boom
 
A new microscope can scan and enlarge the image of objects of almost any size or shape. Even non-planar objects can be observed at high magnification, due to a novel scanning boom that overcomes the limitation of viewing only small flat objects on glass slides.

This new all-digital system, called the VersaCAM, can view and perform analysis of scanned imagery from samples that would not fit on the stage of a typical microscope. Designed and manufactured by JMAR Technologies (San Diego, CA, USA), the VersaCAM uses a precisely controlled boom to position a fast scanning, computer-aided microscope (CAM) that auto-focuses from a starting distance of over 14 inches down to an optimal viewing position in nanometer increments.

Compared to traditional scanning microscopes, the scanning boom design offers the better portability required to produce close-up images of 3-dimensional (3D) objects, even outside the lab or in a remote field setting. The VersaCAM fills the roles of several different microscopes. It can be set up for traditional top-down viewing, for bottom-up viewing of slides, or even for imaging large-material sciencific, medical, or forensic specimens. Specialty software assembles high-magnification scanned images into a single, large-area low-magnification macro-scale mosaic. CAM controls allow the operator to zoom into any part of the mosaic to capture a desired image.

“We have applied our expertise in robotics, optics, and ultra-precise positioning and alignment to create a highly versatile computer-aided microscope,” said Ron Walrod, president and CEO of JMAR. “This microscope can be used just about anywhere for close-up inspection of almost anything.”