Gilden Photonics has built a range of hyperspectral imaging equipment that uses the same techniques as the mantis shrimp to identify fake products and counterfeits.
The mantis shrimp has hyperspectral vision, which enables it to recognise different types of coral, prey and predators, all of which may appear the same colour.
Unlike the human eye, which is limited to visible light, hyperspectral imaging can detect and measure ultraviolet and infrared.
Using similar techniques to the mantis shrimp, Gilden Photonics has developed a way of using hyperspectral imaging to collect and process information from across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Kevin Lynch of Gilden Photonics said: 'The sensors we have built look at objects using a vast portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
'Certain objects leave unique "fingerprints" across the electromagnetic spectrum.
'These fingerprints are known as spectral signatures and aid the identification of the materials that make up a scanned object,' he added.
Experts recently gathered in Glasgow for a conference dedicated to hyperspectral imaging and its uses across a variety of industries, ranging from crime fighting, medicine and food manufacturing to agricultural, defence and astronomy.
Gilden Photonics teamed up with Strathclyde University to host the conference and the launch of the Hyperspectral Imaging Centre of Excellence.
The university hosted the two-day event, which focused on the potential uses and practical applications of the technology in eight different industries.
Experts gathered to hear about the advances in using the technology in dentistry to detect tooth decay without drilling or X-rays, testing the quality of food and drink, in agriculture to search out weeds and pests, for national security and for crime fighting by using it to detect invisible blood spatters or identify fake bank notes and products.
