Open-source rheometer lowers barriers to synchronized rheology and microscopy studies

Recent improvements in rheology — the study of how liquids and soft materials flow — have often focused on combining rheological instruments with optical ones like microscopes to measure at smaller length and time scales. However, many setups are proprietary and restrict user control. Nikolaos Kalafatakis and Roberto Cerbino developed a compact, modular, and fully open-source linear rheometer optimized for simultaneous rheology and optical microscopy.

The duo introduced ShearView — a compact rheometric platform designed for integration with optical microscopy — whose mechanical designs, electronics, control software, and analysis routines are openly released and based largely on commercially available components. This approach enables other researchers to independently reproduce, modify, and validate the design, which the authors showed as having similar performance to a commercial rheometer.

“Openness and compactness do not compromise accuracy,” Kalafatakis said. “The device uses precise synchronization of rheology and microscopy to enable phase-resolved imaging and direct observation of microscopic dynamics during oscillatory shear and strain recovery.”

To construct their device, the authors used commercially available parts such as actuators and sensors, and designed custom, fully documented software to implement a feedback loop. Motion within a soft material was measured using particle tracking and image analysis techniques.

The authors plan to make the technology even more accessible in the future.

“While fully functional, the instrument currently requires experienced users — for example, to understand how to optimize alignment and gap settings,” Cerbino said. “Owing to its open nature, these developments and more can be pursued and shared by the wider community.”

Source: “ShearView: A compact stress- and strain-controlled linear rheometer for integrated rheomicroscopy,” by Nikolaos Kalafatakis and Roberto Cerbino, Journal of Rheology (2026). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1122/8.0001101 .