YouTuber Gabe Emerson creates Raspberry Pi-based scanner similar to Star Trek tricorder

YouTuber Gabe Emerson holds his “SaveItForParts Handheld Scanner” aka “Picorder”

With the ability to scan environmental conditions, check for life signs and pick up energy readings, the tricorder is one of the most useful gadgets on Star Trek. Since none of us are actually in Starfleet, it’s unlikely that we’ll have a tricorder quite that advanced anytime soon. But that didn’t stop Gabe Emerson from building a working scanner of his own, which he shared on his SaveItForParts channel on YouTube.

According to a report from tech website ExtremeTech, the homemade unit is officially called the “SaveItForParts Handheld Scanner”, but they branded it as the “Picorder”. Emerson’s scanner is a little larger than a paperback book and its construction required a series of small sensors, a lot of ingenuity and a very small computer called a Raspberry Pi. The handheld device has a 3.5” color display, integrated sound card, and software for picking up radio frequencies. The “Picorder” even includes a thermal imager, which Emerson demonstrated in the video by locating his own cat’s heat signature. Everything is tightly packed into a compact waterproof case, modified to accommodate the surprisingly large amount of hardware inside the unit.

That’s an impressive list of options for a “do-it-yourself” tricorder, and Emerson wasn’t going to stop there. He had also planned to install a sensor to monitor temperature, pressure and humidity, but was unable to successfully integrate it, due to what was likely a faulty component. Nevertheless, the “Picorder” is a unique and fun “backyard build”.

You can check out Gabe Emerson’s “Picorder” and many more DIY projects on the SaveItForParts YouTube channel and at SaveItForParts.com.