The 12th Fleet: Starbase Valhalla

Researchers from the Tel Aviv University have succeeded in creating a real-life tricorder – the multi-function scanning device from the Star Trek TV shows and movies – by adopting existing smartphone technology.

Professor David Mendlovic and doctoral student Ariel Raz from Tel Aviv University’s School of Electrical Engineering teamed up with Unispectral Technologies to develop and patent an optical component based on microelectromechanical (MEMS) technology found in modern smartphones.

Mendlovic says, “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.” The optical component can read an object’s hyperspectral signature – using either still or video images – the data from which can be used to discern what it is made of.

“A long list of fields stand to gain from this new technology,” Mendlovic said. “We predict hyperspectral imaging will play a major role in consumer electronics, the automotive industry, biotechnology, and homeland security.”

The team hopes to deliver a prototype by June this year, and is already in talks with smartphone manufacturers about implementing the technology.