Homemade spectrometers on Kickstarter for $ 35

Public Labs, which promotes science and Open Source tools, launched another project: this time, they started selling $ 35 self-made spectrometers from a piece of DVD-R, black paper, VHS boxes and HD USB webcams.

Using this device, anyone can analyze materials at home with a resolution of 3-10 nm in the range of 400-900 nm - and replenish the global Open Source material base , which Public Labs also creates.

For domestic purposes, the spectrometer is useful for checking the true composition of products, searching for impurities: for example, dyes in laundry detergent or studying the original spectrum of vintage wines .
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DIY spectrometer design
Step-by-step assembly instructions (video below)



In addition to DIY kits, a stand-alone spectrometer, already calibrated, complete with a powerful broad spectrum lamp and Petri dishes, can be ordered for $ 300 on Kickstarter. Nice design of the device will look good in a wine bar or restaurant, where visitors can check the composition of dishes served.



The Spectral Workbench program for Android mobile phones has also been developed, but it only works in Opera browser, the only mobile browser that introduced MediaStream API support.

Public Labs has already conducted one successful campaign on Kickstarter, selling a batch of DIY balloons for attaching a camera . There is a section on the Public Labs website where all users can upload aerial maps of the area they filmed, automatically gluing the fragments and linking them to the grid. By the way, Google uses this open data, introducing the most successful photo shoots of users on Google Earth .