Wanna a tricorder? I'm doing a general science adquisition device!

[kunok]

I'm not a treekie really, but I was impressed from this project, https://hackaday.io/project/1395-open-source-science-tricorder ,  I was looking for a project to learn more electronics, and I'd like to have a suite of sensors, so this could be perfect. In fact I will try first to understand in completely, and then maybe even update it. The original autor is peterjansen

 In current state has this suite of sensors(c/p from the web of the project):

Atmospheric Sensors

• Ambient Temperature and Humidity: Measurement Specialties HTU21D
• Ambient Pressure: Bosch Sensortec BMP180
• Multi-gas sensor: SGX-Sensortech MICS-6814

Electromagnetic Sensors

• 3-Axis Magnetometer: Honeywell HMC5883L
• Lightning sensor: AMS AS3935
• X-ray and Gamma Ray Detector: Radiation Watch Type 5
• Low-resolution thermal camera: Melexis MLX90620 16×4
• Home-built linear polarimeter: 2x TAOS TSL2561
• UV: Silicon Labs Si1145
• Spectrometer: Hamamatsu C12666MA micro-spectrometer, with NeoPixel light source

Spatial Sensors

• Inertial Measurement Unit: Invensense MPU-9150 9-axis (3-axis accelerometer, gyro, and magnetometer)

Other Sensors

• Microphone: Analog Devices ADMP401

For now I already have the pcbs from OSHpark (I have two spares if someone is interested we can talk), and some of the sensors and the microcontroller that I get in samples ( I would like to express my gratitude for the companies who give me the samples, could a mod concrete if this is permitted in this forum? is a form of advertising in some way)

This fairly is not really a cheap project (I myself won't do the spectrometer and thermal camera board for now, because this both are more expensive than every else combined) but I could encourage it as an instrument to teach science to kids and curious people.

If this goes well, I MAY sold them in little quantities to help pay me a master (I'm trying to change my career orientation), and try to make it more affordable.

Tomorrow I will upload some of the first photos of the pcbs.
What do you think about this project?

[Scotius]

This looks very cool And could be potentially very useful for explorers - both on Earth and in the space. But what about power consumption - all those bells and whistles will need juice to run. And batteries will have to hold charge for a relatively long time if this device is meant for serious fieldwork.

[YNM]

If you look at your phone you'll realize these sensor things only consumes small amount of electricity - waay smaller than the screen.

Not sure about the camera and the micrphone though...

Sounds fun anyway !

Edited June 11, 2016 by YNM

[vger]

Two things I feel should be added.

#1. Range finder. You know, like aiming a laser at a mountain and immediately being able to read how far away it is.
#2. EM field detector (can sense them from power lines, microwave ovens, televisions, etc)

My only disappointment is that the housing isn't an actual knockoff of a tricorder design from one of the series (or do the ones in the Abramsverse look like this?)

I might still be interested in buying one though. Got a price estimate yet?
 

Edited June 11, 2016 by vger

[kunok]

On 10/6/2016 at 10:24 PM, Scotius said:

But what about power consumption

I don't have yet the prototype assembled, less everything looked with time. But they are relatively lower power sensors (i have my doubts about the radiation sersor), I suspect that most of the comsumption will come from the display and the wifi chip, with should be able to put in standby.

On 11/6/2016 at 4:33 AM, vger said:

Two things I feel should be added.

I take the suggestion for future boards, the idea is that you can change the boards for different applications. I'm also looking to a way to incorporate even more devices, some kind of bus, but as external devices.

On 11/6/2016 at 4:33 AM, vger said:

#1. Range finder. You know, like aiming a laser at a mountain and immediately being able to read how far away it is.

Well it has a sort of close range finder.

On 11/6/2016 at 4:33 AM, vger said:

#2. EM field detector (can sense them from power lines, microwave ovens, televisions, etc)

There are really two magnetometers sensors, so in theory it could be made, this is mentioned in one log of the original project https://hackaday.io/project/1395-open-source-science-tricorder/log/4332-board-layout-part-3-lots-of-boards  , and look here https://hackaday.io/project/1395-open-source-science-tricorder/log/5858-sensor-board-mega-update

Inertial Measurement Unit and Magnetometer Board (right): I've coupled these two together purposefully.  Inexpensive magnetic field sensors have really advanced in the last decade, moving from simply sensing field strength to giving a 3-axis measurement, allowing you to roughly determine the field direction.  The MPU9150 IMU also happens to contain a magnetometer, and I'd like to experiment with advancing this even further by getting range data using the two magnetometers and a bit of geometry.

Also, IIRC the lightning sensor is a EM field detector, but with some kind of filter algorithm integrated, I will study if one can get unfiltered readings.

On 11/6/2016 at 4:33 AM, vger said:

My only disappointment is that the housing isn't an actual knockoff of a tricorder design from one of the series

The older tricorders of the author have the design from the series, but they are too big, not very ergonomic and less capable. Look here http://www.tricorderproject.org/tricorder-mark1.html and here http://www.tricorderproject.org/tricorder-mark2.html

On 11/6/2016 at 4:33 AM, vger said:

Got a price estimate yet?

Here is the tricky part, I have a BOM of 200€ in digikey, 16€ in sparkfun, 10€ in drotek, 76,25$ in oshpark (that's for a set of 3 boards, so really a third if you are doing many), the radiation sensor is like 60€, the IR camera is another 65€ , and the spectometer is like 180€ if you make a group buy.
That's not counting the free samples I get (something like 30€ more), the solder paste, nor the stencils, nor my time, nor the case (probably 3d printed, still not design)
It would probably be somewhat cheaper if there are 10 or more people buying this because most components are cheaper if you buy 10 or more. I will make a precise estimation in the future. It would be cheaper than a high end phone that's sure.

The idea is to improve it, to make it more affordable and better, but who knows when I will have a improved version. The current one should work.

 

I will make the promised photos now.

[kunok]

First photo http://imgur.com/BR4krn4 not a good one but who cares? My place is a mess now so is what it is
The boards from oshpark came in good shape and in at first doesn't seem to have any problem with them. The only think I don't liked from the service is that they sent the boards in three different packages instead of one, not a huge deal tho.

The boards are:

-Motherboard https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/q1bYHCAH
-Touchpad https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/isx82tXD
-openminispectrometer rev1 (i didn't upload this, is not really part of this version is for messing until i buy the real spectrometer) https://www.oshpark.com/shared_projects/IO16wkwE

-Spectrometer https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/EAFoY8Xc

-Magnetic https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/fGsU7tTY

-Lightning https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/9mmxdWTa

-Radiation https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/ub40V0o3

-Atmospheric https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/gh9jHHEC

Now I have three of every one. The next days it will arrive the stencils.

[StrandedonEarth]

To really have a full-on Star Trek-style tricorder, you should look into adding an ultrasound as an add-on/plug-in device. But I suppose that would get too expensive and/or complicated.

[kunok]

41 minutes ago, StrandedonEarth said:

To really have a full-on Star Trek-style tricorder, you should look into adding an ultrasound as an add-on/plug-in device. But I suppose that would get too expensive and/or complicated.

Is not really what I want, can I ask for what was this ultrasound in the tricorder? (As I said I'm not a trekkie, but I know when an interesting device is worth making)

[StrandedonEarth]

The Star Trek tricorder had some sort of medical scanning device, not that it is specifically called 'ultrasound.' But I expected that to be beyond the scope of your device.

I imagined it could be used to 'look inside' (scan) more than just people. But it would also require a screen to display images.

[kunok]

The problem is that the tricorder of the series is magic not science, so you can't really make an equivalent.

What you are talking about is the medical tricorder, this is the scientific tricorder, if I understanded well, there are three different types, medical, scientific and military.

 

 

Another little update:

My prototype will use an improved microphone: Analog Devices INMP411 , with is an upgraded version of the ADMP401 (now INMP401, because change of companies) with the same footprint and auxiliar elements, a little bigger spectrum and the same price.

[DDE]

On ‎12‎.‎06‎.‎2016 at 9:03 PM, StrandedonEarth said:

The Star Trek tricorder had some sort of medical scanning device, not that it is specifically called 'ultrasound.' But I expected that to be beyond the scope of your device.

I imagined it could be used to 'look inside' (scan) more than just people. But it would also require a screen to display images.

I'm afraid that any active sensor would have prohibitively high power requirements.

I'm also somewhat concerned with your choice of X-ray/gamma detector. Especially as it likely misses a fairly handy alpha-beta detection capability.

[p1t1o]

There is one all-important question everybody seems to have overlooked:

What noise does it make when it is scanning?

[kunok]

A little update, I have permission from the original author, I have been investigating new wifi options, I will post it maybe tomorrow.

11 hours ago, DDE said:

I'm also somewhat concerned with your choice of X-ray/gamma detector. Especially as it likely misses a fairly handy alpha-beta detection capability.

I didn't choose it, but what you proposes wont have high power requirements? What options are beyond using a geiger tube?
 

10 hours ago, p1t1o said:

What noise does it make when it is scanning?

It has a speaker so you should be able to program it to do whatever noise you want