Functional Collaborative Remote Microscopy: Inter-Continental Atomic Resolution Imaging

In recent years the development of remote microscopy, specifically in electron microscopes, has begun to emerge as a useful research tool rather than simply an educational or teaching aid. Scientists have long been able to work collaboratively at a distance; however, it is often in terms of receiving data or sending some instructions where there may be a delay in receipt of the information. When defining remote control it is important to note that electron microscopy requires instantaneous control and receipt of the feedback (in most cases via images on a screen). Without realtime control it is impossible to conduct high resolution imaging and analysis work. In terms of electron microscopy, there are several reasons for conducting experiments remotely: With sub-Ångström aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopes, the environment within which the microscope itself sits is of utmost importance.