MICROSCOPY
AirSEM's technology removes the vacuum chamber from electron microscopy. The product architecture had to make that advantage visible and usable on a laboratory bench.
- Client
- AirSEM
- Sector
- Instrumentation
- Year
- 2023
- Capabilities
- Research, Human Factors, Industrial Design, DFM
Challenge
Column, stage, detector and electronics defined the volume. Around them, researchers needed unobstructed access to the specimen and a bench footprint a shared lab could accept.
User and product research
Observation of specimen preparation and imaging sessions established the sequence of use and the moments where hands, eyes and instrument compete for the same space.
Industrial design
The chassis separates the working plane from the service body: a light perforated shell above, a graphite base below, with the specimen stage presented forward and open.
Human factors
Stage height, reach envelope, viewing angle and safety labelling were resolved against seated and standing operation.
Prototype and testing
Full-scale panels and stage mock-ups were used to test loading ergonomics and access for alignment and service.
Final solution
A benchtop instrument that presents its most valuable feature — direct access to the specimen — as the first thing the user meets.
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