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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · 8d

The best of 3D-printers is here, by hacking them into lab equipment

Vittorio Saggiomo @vsaggiomo.bsky.social · 9d

Our 6-hands review/perspective: "Hacking 3D printers as laboratory robots" is now on ChemRxiv.
In there, we show how many robots you can make by simply modifying a 3D printer. #chemsky 1/n

with @sandersays.bsky.social and @supersciencegrl.co.uk
chemrxiv.org/engage/chemr...

Reposted by Chinna Devarapu

Alfred Millett-Sikking @amsikking.bsky.social · 10d

The culmination of many years work. One of the most advanced light-sheet microscopes in the world!

-> A large field of view Snouty light-sheet microscope, with any immersion remote refocus and real-time multi-angle projections!

For details see previous posts and here: github.com/amsikking/HT...

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · 10d

Simply beautiful

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · 11d

It makes me wonder what other scientific instruments are quietly undergoing similar transformations in unexpected places. Thanks to Leonhard for sharing the teardown images of hopocolor. and screenshots that sparked this observation.

Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · 11d

These instruments are becoming viable tools for field measurements, where the cost-benefit equation of traditional spectrometers doesn't work. I think there is still room for improving these spectrometers in terms of cost & performance by using transmission grating with linear CCDs such as TCD1304.

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · 11d

These aren't just hardware upgrades. The manufacturers have developed desktop applications, mobile apps that run standalone or inside WeChat, and optional LCD displays. They're building complete measurement platforms, not just optical instruments.

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · 11d

Not only they use Czerny-Turner optical layouts - the same configuration found in laboratory spectrometers costing at least $2,000, they get you impressive specs: 350-800nm range, integration times from 50 microseconds to 10 seconds, and 2nm spectral resolution.

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · 11d

Compared to both Garden and Torch bearer spectrometers, what I'm seeing in hopocolor is entirely different: professional-grade spectrometers for just $250-$300, made by Hopocolor.

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · 11d

Then came torch bearer spectrometers, priced around $150-$200. Same general approach, but refined - better mechanics, improved optical alignment, more stable performance. Still using transmission gratings but executed with more care.

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · 11d

Previously, I covered garden spectrometers - the only spectrometers you could buy for under $100. These are simple enough: transmission gratings paired with camera sensors with Bayer filters removed. They worked but were basic. bsky.app/profile/chin...

Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · Apr 7

1/14: As a DIY enthusiast who loves #spectrometers and💡, I am excited to share the story of LaoKang, a Chinese maker who turned a #DIY hobby project into a €67 #spectroscopy product. His "Garden Spectrometer" is making spectroscopy accessible by bringing a €1000+ tool for under €67 ($75)🧵👇.

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · 11d

I've been tracking low-cost spectrometers on AliExpress, but when I come across these ~$300 spectrophotometers, that closely resembles Ocean Optics' Czerny-Turner optical layout, I am very impressed.

Leonhard Bandilla @lbandilla.bsky.social · 12d

There are so many budget friendly portable spectrometers available, I thought I'd post some photos of when I opened one, an hopocolor HPSC330, to replace the battery and recalibrate it afterwards. It seems to use a crosses Czerny-Turner geometry with a linear CCD

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Reposted by Chinna Devarapu

Leonhard Bandilla @lbandilla.bsky.social · 12d

There are so many budget friendly portable spectrometers available, I thought I'd post some photos of when I opened one, an hopocolor HPSC330, to replace the battery and recalibrate it afterwards. It seems to use a crosses Czerny-Turner geometry with a linear CCD

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · 19d

3/3 The complete design files, firmware, and mobile application are available as open source under GPL 3.0 license at lnkd.in/eSq-asPH
Here is the ink to the ODX paper: doi.org/10.1021/acs....
The corresponding tweet that went viral is here:
x.com/VarunKothama...

ODX: A Fitness Tracker-Based Device for Continuous Bacterial Growth Monitoring

Continuous monitoring of bacterial growth in aqueous media is a crucial process in academic research as well as in the biotechnology industry. Bacterial growth is usually monitored by measuring the op...

doi.org

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · 19d

2/3 ColorX extends this concept by repurposing fitness trackers as portable instruments capable of detecting five critical water quality parameters: nitrite, sulfate, chromium, free chlorine, and turbidity, with detection limits meeting EPA/CDC guidelines.

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · 19d

1/3 We just turned a $25 fitness tracker into a water quality monitoring device (Colorx). The results are now published. doi.org/10.3390/s251...
This is a follow-up of our ODX paper where we hacked a #fitnesstracker for bacterial growth monitoring. #WaterQuality #Sensors #odx

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Reposted by Chinna Devarapu

Jeff Geerling @jeffgeerling.com · 27d

PIS IN SPACE! Today's video on CubeSats was over a year in the making—and deals with two of my favorite things: Raspberry Pis, and space!

Also making a special guest appearance is Gabe from saveitforparts, using SDR to track sats: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvN3...

PIS IN SPACE!

YouTube video by Jeff Geerling

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Chinna Devarapu

Mae Dean @maegodhavemercy.com · Sep 5

HELL YES. Proof of concept for PWM (Pulse Wave Modulation) dimming of an inductive LED using a MOSFET as the gate! This isn’t the final pulse cycle - I’ll tweak that tomorrow, but it’s getting the full brightness and doing the dimming seamlessly! Woohoo!

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · Jul 20

youtube.com/shorts/27e49...

This Chinese Startup Built a Laser Powered Mosquito Killer!

YouTube video by Varun Mayya

youtube.com

Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · Jul 5

Of course the #pocketspectrometer can be used without the web interafce with its own UI enabled by its own screen and two buttons on the #M5stickC. Here is the link to the github repo github.com/devpnryn/Poc...

github.com

Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · Jul 5

Here is the video tutorial on how to use the #pocketspectrometer’s web interface. We had a french intern student (Gabriel Kirady) who kindly recorded this video while using the spectrometer. #OpenSource #Spectrometer #STEM #DIY #CitizenScience #Instrumentation #OpenHardware

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Reposted by Chinna Devarapu

Rachel Grange @rachelgrange.bsky.social · Nov 10

Back for a little while here, I tried this ‘starter pack’ for photonics & optics people: anyone else can follow up to 50 people at the click of a button: go.bsky.app/QrtPj7R. Put your name below and I will add you to the pack.

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · Jul 3

8/8 Still testing the reliability and accuracy, but initial results are promising. Code and design files will be updated once testing is complete. Follow this space for updates.

Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · Jul 3

7/8 Now getting consistent spectral data across the 12 channels. The broader wavelength coverage should enable more diverse applications in colorimetry.

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · Jul 3

6/8 The hardware was the easy part. Software integration took over 2 days of debugging to get reliable spectral readings. Pimoroni's driver worked initially but the output was inconsistent. Lots of back-and-forth troubleshooting through @Claude to get it working properly.

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Chinna Devarapu @chinnadevarapu.bsky.social · Jul 3

5/8 I have tried other options for AS7343 boards.
@pimoroni.com has one but it's not compatible with my 3D enclosure design, and they couldn’t sell in small numbers through purchase orders. @sparkfun.bsky.social released one in June 2025 but again, the layout didn't match my 3D enclosures.

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