Scientists Win $2.6 Million for Star Trek Tricorder Device

[Megalith]

Star Trek technology is becoming a reality: an American team of scientists and engineers have been awarded $2.6M for developing a handheld device that can non-invasively diagnose a variety of medical conditions—basically, they figured out how to make a Tricorder. Meh, where’s my transporter?

The relationship between Star Trek and real-world science is long and distinguished (how many NASA engineers have claimed to owe their careers to the adventures of Captain Kirk and crew?). And just as Star Trek’s Communicator inspired the flip phone, and its mobile computer PADD influenced the iPad, now comes a Tricorder-like diagnostic device. Five years after it launched, the Qualcomm Tricorder XPrize has awarded an American team of scientists and engineers a $2.6 million first-place award and a Taiwanese team a $1 million second-place prize for developing consumer mobile devices that non-invasively diagnose 13 medical conditions without assistance from health professionals. An initial 312 teams entered.

 

[AgentxofxChaos]

Pretty interesting. Sounded like a lot of work went into the project. 13 conditions is a far cry from the full spectrum of ailments out there but it's a good start.

In all honesty though, I just want my own personal phaser. Forget healing humanity, I just want particle weapons. When they make those, I'll get excited.

 

[ManofGod]

Pretty interesting. Sounded like a lot of work went into the project. 13 conditions is a far cry from the full spectrum of ailments out there but it's a good start.

In all honesty though, I just want my own personal phaser. Forget healing humanity, I just want particle weapons. When they make those, I'll get excited.

When they make those, I am shipping you off to Antarctica with no way to get back.

 

[BloodyIron]

This is specifically a _medical_ Tricorder they developed. There were other ones in the series made too, that could analyse the atmosphere and surroundings, unrelated to medical info.

 

[gunbust3r]

This is specifically a _medical_ Tricorder they developed. There were other ones in the series made too, that could analyse the atmosphere and surroundings, unrelated to medical info.

Will be interesting to see one that detects toxins/contaminants. With that you will probably see the owners never eat, drink, or breath the air outside of their home again. WooHoo pollution everywhere!

 

[cyclone3d]

This is absolutely nothing like a tricorder.

I just looked at the article.

It is basically a tablet/phone app with different attachments that you can hook up to the mobile device to get readings.

 

[BloodyIron]

I think it would be a serious boon to the medical industry if we could accelerate common diagnosis. Waiting rooms, begone!

Things like, why you have a headache, what kind of infection you have, what allergic reaction you are having. I'm hoping many things like this could become "trivial" to identify and address in the future. Wouldn't that be grand?

Will be interesting to see one that detects toxins/contaminants. With that you will probably see the owners never eat, drink, or breath the air outside of their home again. WooHoo pollution everywhere!