Just to get all the non-Trekkies out there caught up to speed, note that the “Tricorder” is a multi-functional device used in the popular TV show / movie for the purpose of sensing, computing, and recording data of various objects; and it does this by beaming sensors at said objects from a distance.
The handheld tool proved essential to the Star Trek crew’s survival in an unpredictable universe, and the convenience of having a device as useful as a tricorder made it a long sought after goal for hobbyists and engineers alike.
With dozens of failed prototypes behind us, it appears as though there is now a solution — researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) have figured out how to turn smartphones into super powerful hyperspectral sensors that can legitimately identify the chemical components of random objects, and do so from a distance.
Prof. David Mendlovic of TAU's School of Electrical Engineering, along with his doctoral student, Ariel Raz, achieved this feat by combining two necessary parts of this invention: an optical component and image processing software.
“A long list of fields stand to gain from this new technology,” said Prof. Mendlovic. “We predict hyperspectral imaging will play a major role in consumer electronics, the automotive industry, biotechnology, and homeland security.”
Prof. Mendlovic and Raz, along with researchers at the Unispectral Technologies firm, applied for and received a patent on a MEMS-based optical component, which is one key part of their solution. When combined with specially written software, the other key part, the result is better imaging than a smartphone camera, as well as hyperspectral imaging capabilities.
“The optical element acts as a tunable filter and the software — an image fusion library — would support this new component and extract all the relevant information from the image,” said Prof. Mendlovic.
The imaging works in still photography as well as video, he added.
What’s interesting to note is the range of objects to which this technology can be applied. You see, every material object has a hyperspectral signature — a unique chemical fingerprint, if you will. So, using the UTA solution, when the phone’s camera captures an image, the data recorded therein is analyzed to extract the object’s hyperspectral content.
What’s more, it can do this using any location within the image, so it doesn’t need to be an exact shot.
“We are close to producing a prototype, which is scheduled for release in June,” says Prof. Mendlovic. “We unveiled the demonstration system at the MWC Barcelona conference this month and received excellent feedback.”
There are, obviously, numerous applications to which this new technology can be applied, ranging from health monitoring to industry quality control.
“Agricultural applications may also benefit because hyperspectral imaging could be used to identify properties of crops, vegetables, and other types of foods,” Mr. Raz says. “Its hyperspectral platform is also suitable for wearable devices.”
Presently, the group is in search of a company that can support the massive amount of data that needs to be stored so the software can sift through it when the program is in use. Also, according to Prof. Mendlovic, Unispectral is in deep discussions with numerous smartphone manufacturers, automotive companies, and wearable device makers, to figure out how to move the technology forward in each respective industry.
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