Hand-held calorie counter
4 Jul 2014
Smart-phone compatible NIR spectrometer can accurately count calories in food and drink, its developers say.
Kickstarter company Consumer Physics has created a palm-sized near infrared (NIR) spectrometer that can be used for the chemical analysis of everyday items such as foods, beverages and medicines.
The tool, dubbed ’SCiO’ - taken from the Latin term ’to know’ - reads the interaction between light and vibrating molecules - which in turn creates a unique optical signature.
SCiO includes a light source that illuminates the sample and an optical sensor called a spectrometer that collects the light reflected from the sample.
The tool then uses its built-in spectrometer to break down the light to its spectrum.
According to Consumer Physics, the spectrum includes all the information required to detect the result of this interaction between the illuminated light and the molecules in the sample.
Commercially, SCiO could be implemented into everyday life as a means of understanding the chemical make-up of the alcohol we consume, or even understand body dehydration levels, the company claims.
In order to deliver information in real-time, SCiO is designed to wirelessly communicate the spectrum of the sample taken to a smartphone, which in turn forwards it to a cloud-based service for review.
Currently, SCiO is compatible with iPhone 4S, 5, 5C, 5S; iPad (3rd generation) and Android-based phones.
