How are you really sure that the food or medicine you’re about to eat is as the package label says it is? A new device named LinkSquare from Stratio can run a quick test to get confirmation.
This new infrared scanner was created for food, pharmaceuticals, materials and physical objects. According to the San Jose, California-based company, this product will allow consumers to get instant, reliable information about the composition of an object, straight from their smartphones!
Source: Venture Beat
The company created this product due to increasing fears that are arising from food and drug scandals in the United States. Many consumers are concerned about product authenticity. This device will not only help in the detection of counterfeit products, but it can save many lives as well since it may detect allergens and harmful chemicals that may affect the consumers.
The Product
LinkSquare is a portable and versatile spectrometer that has the same technology that spectrocopy astronomers use to decipher the composition of distant stars. Materials emit light of different frequencies, and a laser spectograph has the capability of measuring these frequencies, which allows the device to make an identification of the material’s composition to the molecular level.
Source: Belzec
The device makes use of a germanium-based Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) image sensor to illuminate an object and capture its response to light. Each molecule has it’s own distinct vibration and these vibrations interact with light to create an “optical fingerprint”. The data will then be analyzed through algorithms in the Stratio database, and will then identify a product’s composition. The results will then be sent to the user via smartphone.
This technology has already been used by different large corporations as well as the military for decades, but now, it’s available to ordinary people.
Competitors
The company also has other competitors in the field, like Consumer Physics’ Scio. But according to Stratio, their device is capable of capturing light from a broader spectrum. This means that it can analyze more data to give a more accurate analysis.
Just like the competitors’ devices, LinkSquare can detect counterfeit drugs or mislabeled foods. It can also help consumers avoid mistakes when confusing two medications that look similar. This device will be especially beneficial with dietary restrictions as well as those who have regular drugs to take. LinkSquare can also be used to verify whether other materials like leather, are genuine.
Source: Venture Beat
According to Jae Hyung Lee, CEO and cofounder of Stratio, in a statement, “Our eyes are the most important tool we have for evaluating the things around us, but looks alone can’t tell you everything. LinkSquare gives you important information you would miss otherwise.”
Article Sources:
Venture Beat
