Low-cost spectrometers and learning applications for exposing kids to optics

Abstract

We designed and built a low-cost imaging spectrometer using an in-house grating and a webcam and demonstrated its applications for active learning in science with experiments ranging from understanding light spectra from various sources to detecting adulteration in edible oils. The experiments were designed and run in an elementary school in Waterloo, Ontario with young students from grade 4 to grade 8. The performance of the spectrometer is benchmarked to commercial spectrometers and showed excellent correlation for wavelengths between 450 nm to 650 nm. The spectral range can be improved by removing infra-red filters integrated in webcams.

Realization of Low-Cost Multichannel Surface Plasmon Resonance Based Optical Transducer

“…Towards cost reduction in readout systems, webcam based spectrometers are developed. The low-cost grating and webcam based spectrometer is demonstrated [17] for exposing kids to optics. Here a holographic grating with 1800 lines/mm is used for light diffraction which is then focused on camera detector by using a focal lens.…”