In fiction a tricorder is a multifunctional hand-held device. The word "tricorder" according to the Star Trek wiki Memory Alpha is an abbreviation of the device's full name, "tri-function recorder", which refers to the tricorder's primary functions: sensing, recording data and computing analysis.

Within the Star Trek universe tricorders can have many specialized functions or can often be used simply for recording entries in personal or official logs, similar in use to a modern digital voice recorder.

The "standard" tricorder in the Star Trek universe is a general-purpose sensor device used primarily to scan and record data about unfamiliar areas as well as detecting and making detailed examinations of living things. Other tricorders are similar in function to a standard tricorder but are specialized for medical or engineering use.

Real life working versions of the fictional tricorder are currently under development by different groups competing for the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE. An open source project working on designing functional tricorder models can be found at the website tricorderproject.org.

Photo Source: startrekblog.wordpress.com

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