New miniaturized spectroscopy sensor technology developed by a European consortium could do for chemical sensing what camera phones have done for visual imaging.
Developed by the MIRPHAB project, this sensor, which could be fitted on a drone, detects the specific frequencies of liquids or gases when they interact with light. The project's goal is to facilitate faster prototyping of viable Mid-IR sensors that could be commercialized by 2020 or earlier.
Some companies, such as Sky-Futures, are already capitalizing on hazardous area inspection via drones.
MIRPHAB stands for ‘Mid-Infrared photonics devices fabrication for chemical sensing and spectroscopic applications.’ That’s quite a big name, though it dreams small.
“We want to shrink current [spectroscopy] technology down to the size of a mobile phone,” MIRPHAB coordinator Sergio Nicoletti says.
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