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Science Tricorder, for real, looking for input

P

Phill Betts

Ensign
Newbie
Hello Everyone.
Yes this is a real working Science Tricorder prototype and I'm looking for input on it's design and functionality. Please critique away.
376288865_315333664404421_9185697090267495216_n.jpg

Optical Spectrometer of a tomato, note the amount of IR on the right and Blue and UV on the left that we normally don't preserve.

Sorry about some of the formatting as this was pasted from Word.

I'm attempting to follow the following definitions, standards, principles, etc.:

A Scientific Tricorder represents a paradigm shift in portable technology, combining state-of-the-art sensors, advanced computational algorithms, and intuitive user interfaces to provide a comprehensive and real-time analysis of the physical world. This multifunctional device serves as an embodiment of scientific inquiry and problem-solving, empowering users with a newfound ability to explore, understand, and interact with their environment in profound ways.

At its core, a scientific tricorder embodies the following features and functions:
· Sensor Fusion and Diversity: The tricorder incorporates a diverse array of sensors that capture a wide spectrum of data, ranging from electromagnetic signals to biological indicators. These sensors include spectrometers, thermal cameras, gas chromatographs, acoustic analyzers, and more. Through sensor fusion, the tricorder can cross-reference data from multiple sources, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of its analyses.
· Rapid Data Acquisition: The device is designed for swift and seamless data collection. Users can simply point the tricorder at an object, substance, or area of interest, and it quickly captures and processes relevant information. This efficiency is crucial for real-time decision-making in dynamic environments.
· Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: The tricorder employs sophisticated AI and machine learning algorithms to interpret the collected data. These algorithms can recognize patterns, anomalies, and correlations that might escape human observation, enabling the tricorder to generate meaningful insights and predictions.
· User-Friendly Interface: The tricorder features an intuitive interface that presents the complex scientific analyses in an accessible manner. Users can interact with the device through touchscreens, voice commands, or gestures, making it user-friendly even for individuals without specialized scientific knowledge.
· Instant Analysis and Feedback: Upon data collection, the tricorder rapidly processes the information and provides instant feedback to the user. This includes detailed reports, visual representations of data, and actionable recommendations. Such immediate results are crucial for addressing urgent situations and making informed decisions on the spot.
· Customization and Modularity: The tricorder's design allows for customization based on the user's specific needs. Additional modules or sensors can be added or swapped out, allowing the device to adapt to various scenarios, from medical diagnostics to environmental monitoring.
· Connectivity and Networking: The tricorder can seamlessly connect to other devices, databases, or centralized systems. This connectivity enables remote collaboration, data sharing, and access to cloud-based resources, enhancing its capabilities and expanding its potential applications.
· Energy Efficiency and Longevity: To ensure extended use in various contexts, the tricorder is designed with energy-efficient components and power management systems. This ensures that users can rely on the device for an extended period before needing to recharge or replace batteries.
· Continuous Advancements: Manufacturers of scientific tricorders are committed to ongoing research and development, continuously refining the device's capabilities, enhancing its accuracy, and expanding its range of applications as new sensor technologies and scientific insights emerge.

In summary, a scientific tricorder represents a groundbreaking convergence of cutting-edge technologies, enabling individuals to engage with their environment in unprecedented ways. Its ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data across diverse domains empowers users to make informed decisions, solve complex problems, and contribute to scientific exploration and understanding across a wide range of fields.

Tricorder Prototype Core Properties:
· Dell 5056 Tablet: Intel Atom Z8500 quad-core processor up to 2.24 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD System Memory (C: Drive), 128 GB SSD Data Storage (D: drive, expandable to 2TB), Windows 10 64 bit, Bright display for outdoor work (400 nits), High resolution screen (1920x1200 220 pixels per inch) for detailed work, USB 3.0, Bluetooth, WiFi
· Capable of running most Windows 10 or older 64 bit or 32 bit software
· Electronics Expansion chamber attached to back
· Upgraded battery to 36,000mAh @ 3.7V = 133 WHr. Should give over 12 hours working time depending on which sensors are turned on
· Direct Current (DC) Power Supplies for Ports and Sensors: +3.3V, +/-5.0V, +/-12V, +/-15V, +/-24V
· Neck strap system, frees up both hands for sample handling
· Ports for Sensors: + indicates more can be added
o 12+ USB Ports: 9 USB 3.0, 3 USB 2.0
o 2+ Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) Ports for up to 256 daisy-chained sensors
o 2+ Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) Ports for unlimited daisy-chained sensors (each require a digital output for sensor selection)
o 2+ Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter (UART) ports
o 2+ TTL bidirectional ports (5.0V or 3.3V)
o 32+ Analog Input Ports for sensors
o 16+ Digital Output Ports for SPI Sensor Selection
o 16+ General Purpose Input / Output (GPIO) Ports (1.2V to 5.0V compatible)
o

· ToDo / ToAdd
o Anti-reflective screen
o Ruggedized case
o Bluetooth 5.0
o WiFi 5.0
o USB Cellular Modem Global 4G/LTE-M, 3G, and 2G network compatibility
o Real-Time cloud storage data duplication for backup and multi-user simultaneous data analysis


Sensor Packages: Attached internally and externally to the Tricorder core ports and power supplies.

1. Environmental Sensor Package: Ambient Air Temperature, Infrared Spot Temperature, Ambient Air Humidity, Ambient Air Pressure, Gas Detectors: (Smoke, CO2, Co, Methane, Alcohol, isobutene, Hydrogen, Combustible gasses), Light level, Noise level, Soil moisture sensor, 3-axis vibration sensor, 3-axis magnetometer
2. Acoustic Spectrum Analyzer: microphones covering 1Hz to 150KHz with software for spectral analysis, decoding, FFT, side-bands,
3. Optical Camera with Dual Filter Wheels: UVA (340nm) through visible (410nm-650nm) into Near-IR (900nm), 165 combinations of color filtering, polarizations, band-pass, high-pass and low-pass filters
4. Optical Spectroscope: UVA (340nm) to Near-IR(900nm) (see picture above)
5. Optical Illuminator: Illuminating from UVA (315nm) to Near-IR (900nm) with distinct bands and 5 watts of illumination in each band, multiple bands can be illuminated at once
6. Helium Ion Florescence Scintillator Spectroscope: Referred to as the “Rock Analyzer”, the sensor is pointed at a sample and the reflected fluorescence spectrum is collected, displayed and compared against known spectrum patterns for analysis
7. Electromagnetic Spectroscope: A radio wave analyzer using a Software Defined Radio (SDR) module and software with pre-amplifiers and directional antenna covering 500KHz to 1.7 GHz
8. High Energy Particle Spectroscope: Alpha-Ray, Beta-Ray, Gamma-Ray and X-Ray Sensor based on an array of PIN-Diodes
9. More to come…

Production models will be lighter and smaller with custom sensor circuit boards, reduced wiring, custom case, etc.
 
There is a scintillator in the Helium Ion Fluorescence Spectrometer, it converts the back-scattered particles into the visible light range which is then displayed as a spectrum. The spectrum characteristics can then be mapped to known elements.
 
Yes, He-4 detectors have good pulse-width discrimination between gammas and fast neutrons, although plastic scintillators are generally reckoned to be best for efficiency. Not so good for thermal neutrons, where various types of lithium-doped glass scintillators are better.

Since neutrons are electrically neutral particles, they are mainly subject to strong nuclear forces but not electric ones. Therefore, neutrons are not directly ionizing and usually have to be converted into charged particles before they can be detected. Generally, every type of neutron detector must be equipped with a converter (to convert neutron radiation to common detectable radiation) and one of the conventional radiation detectors (scintillation detector, gaseous detector, semiconductor detector, etc.). Fast neutrons (>0.5 MeV) primarily rely on the recoil proton in (n,p) reactions. Materials rich in hydrogen, such as plastic scintillators, are best suited for their detection. Thermal neutrons rely on nuclear reactions such as the (n,γ) or (n,α) reactions to produce ionization. Materials such as LiI(Eu) or glass silicates are therefore particularly well-suited for detecting thermal neutrons. The advantage of 6LiGlass scintillators is their stability and their large range of sizes.

Types of Neutron Detectors | nuclear-power.com

It's a huge subject to try to summarise in a few lines, and the exact measurement requirements (flux, direction, and energy spectrum) are important to decide what detection method(s) should be used. A general-purpose device would have limited applicability for many use cases.
 
What about adding in a Touch Microscope?
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You can also add in a traditional Electro-Optical Field Microscope to see minor details and record it the info for later.

Lidar/Radar sensors for local 3D environmental imaging?
 
^Impressive and interesting. 3 µm x/y-axis resolution and 0.3 µm z-axis resolution, so not as good as an electron microscope or the best optical microscope. x/y-axis resolution is 0.2 nm for a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and 10 nm for a scanning tunnelling electron microscope (STM). The best optical microscope can manage 0.2 µm, which is 500 times better than the human eye. An atomic force microscope (AFM) has a resolution of about 0.1 nm. For comparison, atomic radii typically range from about 0.1 to 0.2 nm. For casual use, this would be handy though.

To the wish list of capabilities, one might add RNA and DNA sequencing.
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MinION | Oxford Nanopore Technologies

The thing about a handy, all-purpose device is that it's never going to excel at any one thing. A specialised piece of lab equipment is always going to beat it.
 
Yes - I was going to mention...
Do NOT try to make it a Jack-of-all-trades. Create specialized versions.

There's a good reason not to try to cram too much functionality into a single system of such modest size.
 
I liked the early Lytro camera housings.

You might get everything into the ST II/ALIENS type devices...as large as they are.

That touch microscope... maybe an object can be rotated into it and be read.

I liked the near flat saucer of the FASA Refit Enterprise and have often wanted a scaled up version.
 
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What about advanced electronic sensors to cover:
Smell
Taste
Hearing

We already have the VISOR to cover the Visual and near Visible Spectrum.

We have Tricorders that cover most EM waves

We can have advanced Microscopes.
 
StarCruiser said:
Yes - I was going to mention...
Do NOT try to make it a Jack-of-all-trades. Create specialized versions.

There's a good reason not to try to cram too much functionality into a single system of such modest size.
Click to expand...
I agree, specialised add-on modules for different applications would seem the way to go for a tablet-based device. The main limitations are the processing power and memory of the tablet and the power delivery and bitrate capabilities of the data cable. USB4 supports up to 5A at 48 V (240 W) and 80 Gbit/s symmetric or 120 Gbit/s asymmetric.

Star Trek has two varieties of tricorder (at least) and they are limited in ability (depending on the plot requirements). McCoy can only do so much with his medical one before he can get the patient back to sick bay. Spock has more sensors at his disposal on the Enterprise's bridge than he does out in the field. I think there are also specialised engineering tricorders, but were they ever described in detail?

As for medical tricorders, in the real world there is the rHEALTH One, which was reportedly going to be deployed on the ISS. It's a little bulky, but perhaps could be miniaturised somewhat.
 
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Battery power is always an issue.
This original tablet could barely run 4 hours in reduced CPU and backlight mode with no USB devices plugged into it.
One of the first upgrades was to add batteries to it inside the electronics enclosure on the back, which are connected to the internal batteries and charge controller.
I upped the battery capacity to 36,000mAh from 8,000mAh @ 3.7V, this should give over 12 hours working time depending on which combination of sensors are turned on, with the backlight on full (outdoor operation is assumed) and all 4 processors running at top speed.
There is room to add more but I thought that was good to start, and you have to consider the weight.
 
Another suggestion - maybe try to find a partner to develop a package more suited to what you are trying to create.

I would suggest it be a bit thicker than an iPad - this gives more room for a better power source and could allow you to embed the core of the sensor package inside the 'Tricorder'. Could also allow a slightly tougher package and could allow a better protected screen.

While this concept will obviously be mainly for Science/Medical applications - trust me - the military will get interested if only for the Medical version. They will insist on DOD Spec construction and electronics.
 
I do have tentative plans for production.
There is a lot of work going from prototype to production so I have 3 Phases.

Phase 1: Finish designing and testing the prototype along with designing and prototyping some of the sensor packages.

Phase 2: Create an LLC company and crowd fund equity to get to the production stage

Phase 3: Create a crowd fund with someone like Indigogo or Kickstarter for advertising and sales
 
Phill Betts said:
I do have tentative plans for production.
There is a lot of work going from prototype to production so I have 3 Phases.

Phase 1: Finish designing and testing the prototype along with designing and prototyping some of the sensor packages.

Phase 2: Create an LLC company and crowd fund equity to get to the production stage

Phase 3: Create a crowd fund with someone like Indigogo or Kickstarter for advertising and sales
Click to expand...
You probably couldn't call it a "tricorder" without negotiating with CBS Studios Inc., who hold the trademark, I believe.

Here's a link to the US register of filings for that name.
Record List Display (uspto.gov)
Search on "tricorder" if it has timed out.
 
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Gene Roddenberry intentionally did not copyright the word "Tricorder" and hoped that people would make real ones, however you can't make it look like any CBS tricorders from any of it's productions.
Most of the trademarks at uspto.gov refer to a "toy" or a "medical device" both of which it is not.
My Phase 2 has a legal review period to make sure everything is ok.
Negotiating with CBS is also an option.
 
Phill Betts said:
Gene Roddenberry intentionally did not
copyright the word "Tricorder" and hoped that people would make real ones, however you can't make it look like any CBS tricorders from any of it's productions.
Most of the trademarks at uspto.gov refer to a "toy" or a "medical device" both of which it is not.
My Phase 2 has a legal review period to make sure everything is ok.
Negotiating with CBS is also an option.
Click to expand...

Well, Roddenberry is long dead and the suits tend to get greedy. You would be attempting to profit off corporately-owned IP and I expect they would want their cut. Even if the trademark does not cover the specific functionality of your version, I expect they could tie you up in the courts and bankrupt you through legal shenanigans if they felt so inclined. Also, you should not confuse copyright with trademark. They are different things.

Trademark vs Copyright – Difference Between Copyright And Trademark

I'm also not getting the market for this device. People who want to cosplay would be happy enough with a cheap non-functional replica from the various series. People who want a proper scientific instrument might not want to buy a device from an unknown manufacturer. Serious career scientists don't rank "cool geek value" above fitness of a device to perform a specialised function at work. Your market would seem to be the intersecting set of Star Trek fans and science professionals who want to show off to other such people - such as the main guys portrayed on The Big Bang Theory. If so, it should look more like a device from one of the Star Trek shows.

It should also be open source so users can tailor as they see fit for their needs. If it were going to run Linux, it should be open source anyway. If it runs iPadOS or Windows, you risk alienating the subsets who hate Apple or Microsoft. I've never met anyone who hates Linux - apart from the controversial excrescence that is systemd.

ETA: I expect there are quite a few people working on such handheld devices, where convenience makes sense for obtaining quick results. Here's a video on the topic from 5 years ago about a medical version:

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