Picorder 2 Is a Star Trek-Inspired Data Acquisition Platform

Chris Barrett is on a quest to build a real-world tricorder and he recently released details about the second version of the device.

Tricorders are fictional devices in the Star Trek universe that help the crew collect data. There are multiple varieties, even within the same series, including models for collecting general environmental data, models for performing medical diagnoses, and models for troubleshooting engineering systems. Tricorders seemed very futuristic when they first appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series, but many of their functions are quite feasible today. Chris "directive0" Barrett is on a quest to build a real-world version of the tricorder, which he has dubbed the Picorder, and he recently released details about the second version of the device.

Barrett first posted details about his original Picorder device to his personal wiki site back in 2017. The design of that first version, designated TR-108, looked like the general tricorders from Star Trek: The Original Series. The new Picorder 2, or TR-109, is a replica of the more "modern" tricorder models from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Picorder 2 is still early in the development phase, but it already looks quite good. It very closely mirrors the on-screen tricorder props used on the show, thanks to a 3D-printed enclosure that Barrett designed based on a prop replica from Stapleton Productions.

That alone would be enough to make the Picorder 2 perfect for cosplay, but Barrett wants it to actually work similarly to the tricorders in the fiction. Barrett accomplished that by equipping the Picorder 2 with a Raspberry Pi Zero W. That monitors the environment through several sensors. Those include a BME680 temperature, humidity, and pressure sensor, an AMG8833 infrared thermal camera, and an MLX90614 non-contact thermometer. Barrett is also considering integrating a gas sensor and an EMF (ElectroMagnet Field) sensor.

The user input and output hardware is still tentative at this point, but Barrett describes his current choices on the wiki page. Users will be able to read the device's status and data readouts on LEDs and a generic ST7735-driven LCD display. Input is through standard push buttons and capacitive touch buttons via a Microchip CAP1208 chip. Even though a lot of work is still needed to finish the Picorder 2, this project is already fascinating to see. Barrett is great at documentating his progress, so be sure to follow along with updates on his wiki and YouTube channel.

Cameron Coward
Writer for Hackster News. Proud husband and dog dad. Maker and serial hobbyist.
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