New Kickstarter project turns the Raspberry Pi into a portable laboratory

It is no secret that the Raspberry Pi (from US$49 on Amazon) is an amazing little machine that can be transformed into all kinds of different things thanks to its dedicated and creative community that regularly comes up with new projects. Just over the last couple of months, we have reported on how the Raspberry Pi can be either turned into a router or a working version of the Simpsons' television. An upcoming Kickstarter project now claims that the Raspberry Pi can also be turned into a mobile laboratory.

The project called π-LAB has just recently been teased, and details on the intriguing Raspberry Pi modification are still scarce. However, the Greek creator of the project claims that the portable Raspberry Pi lab will be capable of analyzing liquids via absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy as well as image and color analysis. It features a user-friendly interface that allows users to explore samples and even create their own database.

The inventor says the portable Raspberry Pi lab can for example be used to determine the quality and adulteration of olive oil. Like most Raspberry Pi projects, the π-LAB will be open-source. As always, backing a campaign on Kickstarter can pose certain financial risks, but we truly appreciate the ingenuity that drives this and many other Raspberry Pi projects.