In recent years, the content of education has been diversified in all fields, from student’s career to digital-based learning that keeps pace with the development of the IT industry. Students are used to seeing things in 2D, but now they can observe them in 3D. Since we live in three dimensions, observing in 3D is more immersive and allows us to understand situations more easily and remember them for longer than flat learning. Yeon Systems is a company that utilizes monocular cameras to enable 3D microscopic observation to enhance student engagement and educational effectiveness. Beyond education, the company is expanding into the medical field by combining holographic technology and 3D observational imaging technology.

Starting with a monocular stereoscopic camera and bringing microscopic observations to 3D

Real-time manipulation, time-lapse, slow motion and more

Yeon Systems is a company that is responding to the future research/education environment by taking three-dimensional stereoscopic images with monocular stereoscopic cameras, creating 3D content based on holographic technology, and building digital stereoscopic image data through the development of educational microscopes. CEO Pyo Do-yeon, who used to run an ecology book publishing company, wanted to create an ecology book by photographing insects in 3D. So he developed a monocular technology that separates the light from on lens into left and right images and captures them on two image sensors, and succeeded in completing the world’s first insect 3D documentary with MBC. Since then, he has developed a 3D microscope (XR microscope) that can take three-dimensional images of small objects, which has been registered as an international patent in Korea, the United States, Japan, China, Australia, and Canada.

This 3D microscope can observe various samples such as insects, microorganisms, plants, minerals, human bodies, semiconductor circuits, and fibers in real-time 3D images and store, transmit, and share images. “We decided to use 3D microscopes in education first. Optical microscopes, which are commonly used in elementary and secondary school science classes, have limitations that make it difficult for teachers and students to communicate simultaneously. By simply attaching Yeon Systems’ 3D camera to the optical microscope, all of them can be upgraded to digital 3D microscopes” says Pyo. It overcomes the problems of traditional microscopes, but has the advantage of high compatibility, which means you can upgrade its functionality by simply attaching it without replacing the product. The company’s digital immersive imaging microscope (XR microscope), which can be adapted to almost any optical microscope on the market, does not require image synthesis, so it appears on the display as you manipulate the microscope, allowing for real-time operation. In addition, it is possible to record time-lapse to record changes over a long period of time, record fast-moving material and adjust it to slow video, and use an innovative observation method that captures wavelengths of light that are invisible to the eye in a real microscope, allowing for transmission observation at low magnification.

Considering the way teachers and students communicate and teach, the company designed the microscope live video to be easy to share. In fact, the live video can be used directly in Kakao TV, YouTube Live, and online video lessons, which is popular among students because it keeps them engaged. Yeon Systems’ XR microscopes can be digitally stained (brightness, contrast, and HUE adjustment) to create optimal images, and digital zooming can be used in addition when optical magnification is insufficient. As various technologies such as electronic blackboards and e-books are being adopted in educational environments, the company’s XR microscopes are compatible with all stereoscopic displays (blackboards, red-eye glasses, 3D monitors/tablet PCs/projectors, and XR glasses). The product line includes 3D CAM (3D camera for microscopy), 3D monitor, 3D imaging microscope E100 (low magnification objective), 3D imaging microscope E1000 (high magnification optics), 3D imaging microscope P100 (low magnification objective), 3D imaging microscope P1000 (high magnification optics). 

Applying 3D observational imaging technology to dental and ophthalmology and a plan to mass-produce medical webcams

Yeon Systems is not only focused on education but also on developing medical webcams to utilize 3D observational imaging technology in the medical field. Dentists use handheld cameras instead of microscopes to show the condition of teeth and endoscopes can be used to read tooth breakage. In ophthalmology, eye diseases caused by deformed capillaries in the eye can be diagnosed by imaging with a camera and the capillaries and their three-dimensional structure can be shown with a camera during the examination. “I understand that medical microscopes require high resolution, which makes the manufacturing process more rigorous, and that reliability is crucial since they are used to view the inside of the human body. We’re testing the product to these exacting standards, and once we’re in full-scale production, we’ll be able to offer it at a price point that’s comparable to a typical entry-level webcam” says Pyo.