Trek style tricorder for under $200

Star Trek fans won't be the only people pleased at the arrival of the new must have gadget from Sensorcon. The sensordrone, a small but powerful bluetooth device, puts the power of the starfleet tricorder into your hands for $199 (£128). It connects to your phone or tablet using bluetooth and despite its small size is home to an array of useful and surprisingly advanced sensors all of which can beam information to you on demand.

Currently working with Android powered devices through the use of apps that receive and act on the incoming sensor data the sensordrone will also be compatible with Apple and Blackberry devices when it is released later this year.


The keychain sized gadget can be used to monitor information such as alcohol levels, air quality, proximity, heat temperature of an object (without needing to touch it), light intensity, carbon monoxide levels, humidity, location of studs in walls, air pressure and can even be used as an altimeter.

Worried you're over the limit for drinking? The sensordrone can check if you're drunk, have a child and want to make sure they're comfortable? The sensordrone can tell you if they are warm enough (with app shown in the picture here), if there are any harmful gases in the surrounding environment and even tell you if the weather is going to turn bad so they know to wrap up warm.

Connect a pressure cuff to the device and you can check blood pressure. Worried there is a gas leak? Wave the sensordrone around the suspected area and it will let you know if there really is a leak or not.

Not content with simply sending you the data on demand it can be used to record the data over an extended period of time, useful for getting a picture of changing conditions over time for example, and the device itself is small enough to be put on a key ring or tucked away in a pocket making it a useful but unobtrusive helper for situations where the human senses just aren't enough.

It isn't quite the tricorder of trek fans dreams but a significant step in the right direction and a very useful piece of equipment that could be a lifesaver for some whether it's by stopping you driving home drunk and having an accident, letting you know your blood pressure is consistently too high or too low, warning you that there's a gas leak or that the weather is going to turn bad it's something not only geeks will find of value.

Beta devices have already been shipped to some lucky individuals and the company have a kickstarter project that will get you a pre release version if you can't wait until it's Autumn release or if you just want to help assure it's completion.

The inner geek would love to have a tricorder app for this, and with the api being open source it won't be long after release before some clever trekkie does just that so those of us who grew up watching Kirk and co boldly go can have a piece of our mispent youth made real.