Tricorder

In the fictional Star Trek universe, a tricorder is a multifunction hand-held device used for sensor scanning, data analysis, and recording data.

Three primary variants of the tricorder appear in Star Trek, issued by the fictional organization Starfleet. The standard tricorder is a general-purpose device used primarily to scout unfamiliar areas, make detailed examination of living things, and record and review technical data. The medical tricorder is used by doctors to help diagnose diseases and collect bodily information about a patient; the key difference between this and a standard tricorder is a detachable hand-held high-resolution scanner stored in a compartment of the tricorder when not in use. The engineering tricorder is fine-tuned for starship engineering purposes. There are also many other lesser-used varieties of special-use tricorders. The word "tricorder" is an abbreviation of the device's full name, the "TRI-function reCORDER", referring to the device's primary functions; Sensing, Computing and Recording^[1]

Types

The tricorder of the 23rd century, as seen in Star Trek: The Original Series, is a black, rectangular device with a top-mounted rotating hood, two opening compartments and a shoulder strap. The top pivots open exposing a small screen and control buttons. The ship's doctor uses a variant of this model with a detachable "sensor probe" stored in the bottom compartment when not in use. The probe was actually fashioned from a salt shaker to save costs.^[2] The 24th century unit is a small, gray, hand-held model with a flip-out panel to allow for a larger screen. This design was further refined later with a slightly more angular appearance that was seen on most of the Star Trek: The Next Generation-era movies as well as later seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Voyager.

In the post-Next Generation era (Star Trek Nemesis and Star Trek: Elite Force II), a newer tricorder was introduced. It is flatter, with a small flap that opens on top and a large touchscreen interface.

Production

The tricorder prop for the original Star Trek series was designed and built by Wah Ming Chang, one of several futuristic props he created under his contract. Some of his designs are considered to have been influential on later, real-world consumer electronics devices. For instance, his communicator inspired cell phone inventor Martin Cooper's desire to create his own form of a mobile communication device.^[3] Since that time many other companies have followed suit and life sized replicas remain popular collectibles today. The tricorder in The Next Generation was initially inspired by the HP-41C scientific calculator.^[4]

"Real" tricorders

Software exists to make hand-held devices simulate a tricorder. Examples include Jeff Jetton's Tricorder for the PalmPilot; the Web application for the Pocket PC, iPhone, and iPod Touch; and an Android version.^[5]

Vital Technologies Corporation sold a portable device dubbed the "Official Star-Trek Tricorder Mark 1" (formally, the TR-107 Tricorder Mark 1) in 1996. Its features were an "Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Meter", "Two-Mode Weather Station", (thermometer and barometer), "Colorimeter" (no wavelength given), "Light meter", and "Stardate Clock and Timer" (a clock and timer). Spokespersons claimed the device was a "serious scientific instrument".^[6] Vital Technologies marketed the TR-107 as a limited run of 10,000 units before going out of business, although far fewer than 10,000 were likely ever built. The company was permitted to call this device a "tricorder" because Gene Roddenberry's contract included a clause allowing any company able to create functioning technology to use the name .

In February 2007, researchers from Purdue University publicly announced their portable (briefcase-sized) DESI-based mass spectrometer, the Mini-10,^[7] which can be used to analyze compounds in ambient conditions without prior sample preparation. This was also announced as a "tricorder".^[8]

In March 2008, British biotech QuantuMDx was founded to develop the world's first Handheld DNA Lab, a molecular diagnostic point of care device which will provide disease diagnosis in under 15 minutes. In March 2014, the company launched a crowdfunding campaign to support 2014/2015 clinical trials of the device as well as to name the device. Contributors and members of the public called for the device to be officially named a Tricorder.

In May 2008, researchers from Georgia Tech publicly announced^[9] their portable hand-held multi-spectral imaging device, which aids in the detection of the severity of an injury under the skin, including the presence of pressure ulcers, regardless of lighting conditions or skin pigmentation. The day after the announcement, technology websites including Inside Tech^[10] and The Future of Things^[11] began comparing this device to the Star Trek tricorder.

On May 10, 2011 the X Prize Foundation announced with Qualcomm Incorporated the Tricorder X Prize, a $10 million incentive to develop a mobile device that can diagnose patients as well as or better than a panel of board certified physicians.^[12] On Jan 12, 2012, the contest was officially opened at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.^[13][14] Early entrants to the competition include two Silicon Valley startups,^[15] namely "Scanadu", which began work on the medical tricorder in early 2011. Scanadu is led by Walter De Brouwer, who previously co-founded the deep science research lab, Starlab, with Nicholas Negroponte.

On Aug 23, 2011, moonblink's tricorder app for Android was served with a copyright infringement notice by lawyers for CBS and it was deleted from the Android Market by Google. On January 5, 2012 it was put back again as a new app in the Android market, although it is no longer available.^[16]

In 2012, cognitive science researcher Dr. Peter Jansen announced having developed a handheld mobile computing device modeled after the design of the tricorder.^[17]

Toys and replicas

The first mass-produced tricorder replica was featured in AMT's Star Trek Exploration Set in 1974, followed shortly thereafter by a palm sized version in Remco's 1975 Star Trek Utility Belt which was sized and marketed to young children in hopes of taking advantage of Star Trek: The Animated Series that was on TV at that time.^[18]

The first life-sized tricorder was produced by Mego Corporation in 1976 and was actually a cassette tape player made to look like a tricorder.^[19] In the 1990s Star Trek replicas were mass-produced by Playmates, Playing Mantis and Master Replicas making commercially produced replicas affordable to the average fan for the first time in history.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tricorder.

Look up tricorder in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Tricorder at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• Life imitates 'Star Trek'
• Star Trek medical device uses ultrasound to seal punctured lungs
• http://www.tricorderproject.org/index.html