Ocean Optics has introduced a new set of spectral sensing tools for developers and others who want to deploy spectroscopy in robotics and unmanned vehicles.

The STS Developers Kit brings together its powerful STS spectrometer, a Raspberry Pi microcomputer, customizable software, and wireless capabilities in single package for integrating spectral sensing quickly and easily. Right out of the box, the small, lightweight spectrometer can be quickly configured for a variety of measurement applications and integrated into any robot or vehicle for land, sea, or air. Spectral sensing illuminates previously unseen color and light characteristics and can be deployed in handheld devices, cloud-connected measurement clusters, or even mounted on UAVs for remote monitoring.

The STS Developer Kit takes advantage of the Raspberry Pi’s flexibility and adaptability to enable new uses for spectroscopy. Once connected to a WiFi network, the spectrometer can be controlled through phone, tablet, or computer web browser. The WiFi range is up to 150 m, and all data is securely stored to the onboard SD card. While it comes pre-loaded with this simple interface and is ready to use out of the box, the development platform makes it fast and easy to customize the kit to specific projects.

The web scripting API enables quick development of custom scripts and applications, allowing the STS and Raspberry Pi to perform even more complex tasks. Ocean Optics SeaBreeze drivers communicate directly to the spectrometer via USB interface. A Daemon Service software enables more autonomous functionality as well as coordination with other hardware such as switches or even controlling sampling accessories.

The core of the kit is Ocean Optics’ STS microspectrometer. At less than 42 mm square and 24 mm high, the STS delivers maximum power in a small footprint. Its optical design and advanced CMOS detector elevate the STS to performance levels comparable to larger and more expensive spectrometers. Excellent linearity, high dynamic range, and wavelength accuracy ensure reproducible and repeatable results. In addition, high thermal stability performance and low baseline drift ensure that data stays accurate, even under changing environmental conditions. The STS Developer Kit offers the choice of three STS models: STS-UV (190-650 nm), STS-Vis (350-800 nm) and STS-NIR (650-1100 nm).