it's possible to turn ordinary photos taken with smartphones into scientific tools. scientists have discovered a way to extract hidden spectral information from images and use it for material analysis, product authentication, and even medical diagnosis.
researchers from purdue university have developed a simple method. by simply placing a special color card within the frame, the algorithm processes the image and restores the embedded spectral data.
the sensitivity of this method is 1.6 nanometers, which is comparable to expensive scientific spectrometers. all molecules have their own unique spectral "fingerprint". this opens up new possibilities in medicine, ecology, and industrial quality control.
this method has been patented and published in the ieee transactions on image processing journal. scientists say that this advancement will make spectroscopy more accessible and affordable.
