OpenCFU

Counting and viewing objects in an area can be pretty difficult, especially if they come in large numbers and small sizes.

OpenCFU has been designed to work with images of such clusters and automatically detect and count the objects present.

Its applicability, though, is more evident when the images are captures of bacterial colonies as the product can also provide details about the objects.

In order to use the program you have to go through a brief installation process that should not pose any trouble, regardless of computer knowledge you have.

The application window is straightforward and images can be added immediately either by dragging and dropping them or by browsing for the files. We were able to load both JPG and PNG image formats with no problem.

You can also load multiple pictures in the program in order to monitor the evolution of the clusters over a period of time.

After a short scanning OpenCFU can show the items it detected according to the default parameters. However, there are several configuration options that restrict the analysis to a specific area or to take into consideration the objects that fit certain size parameters.

As such, there is the possibility to define a minimum and a maximum radius size of the object. Moreover, restricting the analysis to a smaller area can provide more relevant results.

All the detected objects are marked and they can be viewed clearly. In the lower part of the screen there is the possibility to investigate the detected objects by taking a look at their details (position, area, radius, color, hue, saturation) individually.

OpenCFU is not difficult to work with and it manages to scan the image quite fast; although it is not highly accurate by default it can be configured to show more relevant results by excluding objects based on color.