Open source Star Trek Tricorder released!

Dr Peter Jansen has released the designs for a series of Science Tricorders that he developed while studying at Mcmaster University. The Science Tricorders can sense a variety of atmospheric, electromagnetic, and spatial phenomena. The Science Tricorder Mark 1 is a relatively easy-to-build proof of concept, while Dr Jansen’s Mark 2 model runs Linux and includes an A M Atmel microcontroller s ueezed into a clam-shell with dual OLED touch displays.

Schematics, board layouts and the rmware are available for free on the Tricorder project website under various open licences.

The Tricorder Project aims to bring a diverse array of inexpensive

sensors together in an accessible, easy to use, handheld design that can be easily kept close in a pocket or bag. More than simply bringing the technology to people, the Tricorder aims to provide intuitive ways of visualising data so you might see magnetic elds, temperature, or polarisation as naturally as you see colour...there are many applications for the Tricorder we can think of--from imaging to science education and environmental monitoring--but mostly, it’s designed for the ones that you imagine, says the Tricorder project website.