GoKawiilCambridge-developed $10 spectrometer chip aims for wearable health monitoring
Researchers at the University of Cambridge, working with spin-out GlitterinTech, have built a low-cost optical spectrometer only centimeters in size. Called a convolutional spectrometer, it uses the convolution theorem to analyze light, which the team says yields accuracy and measurement range exceeding existing compact spectrometer designs.
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Shrinking spectrometers has historically forced trade-offs against accuracy and range, so a cheap, small device with lab-grade precision could let such sensors be embedded directly into wearables and portable electronics rather than confined to benchtop instruments. This could open paths toward noninvasive glucose tracking and cheaper chemical testing in food safety, manufacturing and environmental monitoring, though these applications remain potential rather than demonstrated products.
- A $10, centimeter-scale optical spectrometer has been developed by Cambridge researchers and GlitterinTech.
- It uses a 'convolutional spectrometer' design based on the convolution theorem, said to outperform dispersion, Fourier and computational spectrometer types.
- Potential uses include noninvasive health monitoring like glucose tracking, plus food, industrial and environmental testing.
Source: sciencedaily.com, 2026-10-22
Published there as: “Cambridge scientists create a $10 chip that could put a medical lab on your wrist”
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