Hyperspectral imaging is a powerful technology which allows us to see many more samples of the electromagnetic spectrum than standard RGB imaging. This is extremely useful as the light reflected of most objects are inherently connected to their characteristics, even more so for semi-transparent objects.

Hyperspectral imaging chips are now at a quality, cost and production scale where they be integrated into smartphones. Just as we today have a camera in our pocket and use it for all kinds of things: QR code scanning, automatic processing of travel receipts, posting everyday moments to our networks, and much more. We will soon have a second to none object characterization device in our pocket, and be one step closer to having something like the Star Trek tricorder.

What can we see with hyperspectral imaging?

To put things into perspective here is a list of useful things you can use a hyperspectral imaging sensor for (inspired by decades of research across multiple fields)

True color recognition: allowing you to make sure clothes or paints actually match the color you want irrespectively of lighting conditions. This will change our retail experiences with everything related to color, and make color mapping and color understanding more important.

Material identification and classification:in for example clothing (is it real silk?), honey verification, sun-screen coverage, authentication of collectable items. This will make copying of luxury items more difficult, maybe we will even see certain “hyperspectral fingerprints” in particular fabrics as a way to claim authenticity.

Food quality: allowing for instant check of ripeness of avocados, freshness of meats, fake vs real vanilla, crystalization in chocholates. Will this allow for even more dynamic food pricing?

Blood oxygenation: which we already have in our smartwatches, but now in a 2D grid to show areas of more or less blood oxygenation in wound care and similar. This is already used for diabetic foot ulcers, and other hard to treat wounds. Likely to impact our elderly care.

Identification of different types of plastic: allowing for at home sorting of plastics based on recyclability, or even at the purchase point. Now I will get even more baskets at home for sorting, and recycling.

Identification of explosive residues: maybe selected screening in airports goes away, and we are all automatically screened. Increased safety in various parts of production processes.

Detecting water damage in constructions: this could allow for preventative maintenance in living spaces.

Non-invasive glucose monitoring: a simpler and easier way for diabetics to monitor their status, and a likely craze among fitness people in maintaining a stable glucose level throughout the day.

Agricultural crop health monitoring: is this the gateway into precision home gardening, where we can quantify the health of our lawns and rosebeds?

While this is not an exhaustive list, making hyperspectral sensors available in every smartphone, means that we will all start to have a completely new superpower of seeing not merely the world reflected, but the world in terms of its underlying qualities and materials. We will gain “True Sight” and a profoundly new way of interacting with our world.