Surface geometry made easy
It is extremely difficult to measure the cell surface topology using microscopes or camera’s. Typically, the choice is to use reflected light, refracted light or some unique modification that requires light to enter at correct angles, be altered and then measured with the camera. Typically, setup like that cost hundreds to thousands of dollars.
A technology from MIT has been commercialized into a company called Gelsight. This uses a elastomer that has been coated with flecks of metal to make it a conductive. When you apply the gel to the surface that is being measured, the elastomer creates a relief image of the surface topography. Now use a camera, some image processing algorithms to reconstruct the image and you have a surface sensor that has no moving parts, is a portable device the size of a regular camera with a zoom lens.
This tells you that sometimes “simple” image technology also yields fantastic results.