Star Trek tricorder (kind of) invented by someone at my Alma Mater

[matthew]

I just saw this on Digg and I wouldn't bother sharing it, but I love the headline and the fact that the inventor works at the university I graduated from. Bear Down, Wildcats!!

http://digg.com/science/Star_Trek_Tricoder_invented_by_NASA

[Dark Nations]

StarTrek is the greatest original scifi shows ever to be made.

[Jucato]

I'm not really a big Trekie, but I've watched Voyager and DS9. One thing I love about Star Trek is the gadgets. One thing I'd love to have is the sort of palmtop-like device they carry around (in Voyager and DS9, at least) like a mini tablet PC, with touch screen interface. What's the name for that anyway? I'd really like to have a mobile gadget like that. and with the Origami project, it might become a reality soon :D

[dosed150]

i think the thing your talking about is a padd so we all know where the idea for the umpc came from then

[Jucato]

oooh... a pad! Thanks for the info dosed150. I've always wondered what that was called. But I guess the possibilities of umpc's to be THAT thin would be very distant. I'd settle for something as thin as a Treo, but as functional as a umpc. :D

OMG, the Trekkie (or is it spelled Trekie?) in me is beginning to resurface. My sister is sooo gonna tease me.

Btw, are there photos available of this tricorder-like device? or is NASA keeping it a bit secret?

[bobpur]

Heck, I'd like to have a modem like the one on the Enterprise's Computer. Imagine, Hooking up from three galaxies away and not dropping the signal:)
Schweeeeet!

[Kimm]

Interesting!
I'm watching StarTrek Voyager now (not in this very moment), and I have been thinking about something like this for a long time.

I even started working on something similar. Only my idea was based on sound, not light.