Smartspectrometer—embedded optical spectroscopy for applications in agriculture and industry

The ongoing digitization of industry and agriculture can benefit significantly from optical spectroscopy. In many cases, optical spectroscopy enables the estimation of properties such as substance concentrations and compositions. Spectral data can be acquired and evaluated in real time, and the results can be integrated directly into process and automation units, saving resources and costs. Multivariate data analysis is needed to integrate optical spectrometers as sensors. Therefore, a spectrometer with integrated artificial intelligence (AI) called SmartSpectrometer and its interface is presented. The advantages of the SmartSpectrometer are exemplified by its integration into a harvesting vehicle, where quality is determined by predicting sugar and acid in grapes in the field

Basic angles in microelectromechanical system scanning grating spectrometers

Modern miniaturized scanning grating spectrometers (SGSs) are often based on microelectromechanical system devices. In contrast to classical spectrometers, such systems exhibit additional design constraints, like a symmetrical motion of the grating with a limited deflection. A detailed mathematical analysis of typical SGS configurations based on the grating equation considering these constraints is presented. Equations that relate the basic angles on a scanning grating to the grating properties and the attainable wavelength range of a spectrometer are derived, and the solution set is examined. Furthermore, the analytical description can be used to optimize SGSs with symmetrically moving gratings. The attainable spectral range for a given deflection amplitude of the grating can be calculated. Alternatively, the required grating properties can be determined for a given spectral range

First application close measurements applying the new hybrid integrated MEMS spectrometer

Grating spectrometers have been designed in many different configurations. Now potential high volume applications ask for extremely miniaturized and low cost systems. By the use of integrated MEMS (micro electro mechanical systems) scanning grating devices a less expensive single detector can be used in the NIR instead of the array detectors required for fixed grating systems. Meanwhile the design of a hybrid integrated MEMS scanning grating spectrometer has been drawn. The MEMS device was fabricated in the Fraunhofer IPMS own clean room facility. This chip is mounted on a small circuit board together with the detector and then stacked with spacer and mirror substrate. The spectrometer has been realized by stacking several planar substrates by sophisticated mounting technologies. The spectrometer has been designed for the 950nm - 1900nm spectral range and 9nm spectral resolution with organic matter analysis in mind. First applications are considered in the food quality analysis and food processing technology. As example for the use of a spectrometer with this performance the grill process of steak was analyzed. Similar measurement would be possible on dairy products, vegetables or fruit. The idea is a mobile spectrometer for in situ and on site analysis applications in or attached to a host system providing processing, data access and input-output capabilities, disregarding this would be a laptop, tablet, smart phone or embedded platform