If you have seen episodes of Star Trek, you might recall a certain device called the Star Trek Tricoder. Basically it is a handheld device that has the ability to analyze objects that it is pointed at, breaking it down into chemical components and whatnot without the user even having to pick it up.
If you thought that was the stuff of science fiction, think again because an Israeli startup by the name of Unispectral Technologies claims they have the technology to make it a reality and all they need is your smartphone. The company’s technology involves an optical filter compatible with most smartphone camera lenses and an accompanying software.
Thanks to the filter’s arrays, it allows in more light which in turn will allow the software to recognize the object’s hyperspectral signature which is essentially a unique fingerprint of sorts, thus allowing the data to be collected and analyzed by a third-party analyzer before the results are sent back to the user’s smartphone.
Some possible uses of this technology could be used to identify the components inside a baby’s milk powder, which in some cases have resulted in the death of babies due to the use of fake components. As it stands Unispectral’s technology is more of a concept than an actual product but the company is said to be in talks with smartphone, automotive, and even security organizations to help make it a reality.
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