Researchers from the Purdue University unveiled today a device that is supposed to mimic the functions of Star Trek’s “tricorder“. Just like in the famous TV series, the new portable device allows identifying chemical elements and even the chemical composition of different substances.

To be true the “tricorder” is actually a mass spectrometer shrinked to a portable size. However its dimensions are not quite like in the TV series (yet). The product resembles more a 10 kg box, but even that is a major improvement when you consider similar devices weight 30 times more and need special preparation for the samples they analyze. Being truly portable the new mass spectrometer can be powered by batteries and it needs no special preparation for the samples it analyzes but it’s not quite the PDA-like device from Star Trek (You have in the image bellow a design comparison between the two devices).

According to the Purdue researchers the device was used for analyzing cloth, food and in tests it managed to identify cocaine on bills in less than a second. Although this is just an experimental device, it could not take long until such products will be available as two companies are already looking into it.
For additional details please visit Purdue’s announcement.

Filed under Misc. Gadgets