Israeli Company Develops Pocket-sized Molecular Sensor

Posted on May 18, 2014

An Israeli company has developed a pocket-sized molecular sensor, called Scio, that can be used to identify objects. The data is sent to your smartphone. Scio is currently a Kickstarter project that is well over its $200,000 goal. They have raised $1.6 million.

The device analyzes food, plants, medicine and other objects. Here is a list of some of what the company says Scio can do:

• Get nutritional facts about different kinds of food
• GSee how ripe an Avocado is, through the peel!
• GFind out the quality of your cooking oil.
• GKnow the well being of your plants.
• GAnalyze soil or hydroponic solutions.
• GAuthenticate medications or supplements.
• GUpload and tag the spectrum of any material on Earth to our database.

Scio includes a light source that illuminates the sample and an optical sensor called a spectrometer that collects the light reflected from the sample. This data is then used to identify the sample in the cloud and the results are sent to your smartphone. Optimally, the technology in Scio will eventually be available within your smartphone. The company says it designed a tiny spectrometer from ground up for the Scio. The company expects the final shipment for the device will be in December 2014. Take a look: