Smartphones to sense food quality, monitor health

Scientists have created the world’s first hyperspectral mobile device by converting a smartphone camera into an optical sensor which can sense food quality and monitor health.
According to a PTI report: Hyperspectral cameras, which are traditionally expensive, have been used for demanding medical and industrial, space and environmental sensing.
The cost-effective optical Micro Opto Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) spectral technology enables the development of new mobile applications for environmental sensing and observation from vehicles and drones, said researchers from VTT Technical Research Centre in Finland.
Other applications include health monitoring and food analysis. All of this forms part of an environment combining smart sensors with the Internet.
“Consumer benefits could appear in health applications, such as mobile phones that are able to check whether moles are malignant or food is edible,” Anna Rissanen from VTT was quoted by PTI as saying.
“They could also verify product authenticity or identify users based on biometric data. On the other hand, driverless cars could sense and identify environmental features based on the representation of the full optical spectrum at each point of an image,” Rissanen was further quoted by PTI as saying.
Optical spectral imaging offers a versatile way of sensing various objects and analyzing material properties.
Hyperspectral imaging provides access to the optical spectrum at each point of an image, enabling a wide range of measurements.
The adjustable tiny MEMS filter is integrated with the camera lens and its adjustment is synchronized with the camera’s image capture system.
“Today’s smart devices provide huge opportunities for the processing of image data and various cloud services based on spectral data,” Rissanen was quoted by PTI as saying.
Mass-produced sensor technology will enable the introduction of hyperspectral imaging in a range of devices in which low-cost camera sensors are currently used,” Rissanen was quoted by PTI as saying.