Lego Spectrometer

question:lego-spectrometer spectrometer question:general answered raspberry-pi question:spectrometry

This is the latest version of Public Lab's DIY Desktop Spectrometry Kit -- the Lego Spectrometer. It addresses issues of rigidity, sourcing, modularity, and image quality over previous versions. We've been making and distributing [Do-It-Yourself spectrometers](/w//spectrometry) since 2011, and have been through [4 major kit versions](http://store.publiclab.org/collections/spectrometry) and hundreds of different community contributed modifications, new versions, changes, and more. ## Get a kit This is an open source kit, so you can just build your own -- but to **order parts for a kit**, visit the Public Lab Store: <div style="margin:20px 0;"> <div id='product-component-ab665e9d252'></div> <script type="text/javascript"> /*<![CDATA[*/ (function () { var scriptURL = 'https://sdks.shopifycdn.com/buy-button/latest/buy-button-storefront.min.js'; if (window.ShopifyBuy) { if (window.ShopifyBuy.UI) { ShopifyBuyInit(); } else { loadScript(); } } else { loadScript(); } function loadScript() { if (!window.hasOwnProperty('shopify')) { shopify = true; var script = document.createElement('script'); script.async = true; script.src = scriptURL; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(script); script.onload = ShopifyBuyInit; } } function ShopifyBuyInit() { var client = ShopifyBuy.buildClient({ domain: 'publiclab.myshopify.com', storefrontAccessToken: 'ea3cc579c4c8dfc19b1de781173fc46e', }); ShopifyBuy.UI.onReady(client).then(function (ui) { ui.createComponent('product', { id: [499905232924], node: document.getElementById('product-component-ab665e9d252'), moneyFormat: '%24%7B%7Bamount%7D%7D', options: { "product": { "variantId": "all", "contents": { "imgWithCarousel": false, "variantTitle": false, "description": false, "buttonWithQuantity": false, "quantity": false }, "styles": { "product": {}, "compareAt": { "font-size": "12px" } } }, "cart": { "contents": { "button": true }, "styles": { "footer": { "background-color": "#ffffff" } } }, "modalProduct": { "contents": { "img": false, "imgWithCarousel": true, "variantTitle": false, "buttonWithQuantity": true, "button": false, "quantity": false }, "styles": { "product": {} } }, "productSet": { "styles": { "products": {} } } } }); }); } })(); /*]]>*/ </script> </div> ## Design goals Over the years, we've identified a few really critical improvements that have been tough to solve: * rigidity * easy to source parts * modularity - working together * image quality Our mission is to make it **easier, cheaper, and more accessible to do environmental monitoring**, and to do that as an open source, collaborative community. And of course part of that is cost -- while people build upon our kits with more expensive options and upgrades, we want the basic kit to be extremely affordable. ## Quick start [notes:grid:lego-quickstart] ## Questions [questions:lego-spectrometer] ## Building your Lego Spectrometer [activities:lego-spectrometer] ## Spectrometry activities [activities:spectrometry-sampling] **** ## Spectrometer calibration [activities:spectrometry-calibration] **** [](https://publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/022/935/original/tinkercad.png) _Tinkercad model, below_ ## Parts ### 3D models * Tinkercad: https://tinkercad.com/things/43IqCTHE7Iz * Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2711528 ### 3D brick models Lots of great brick models are available here: https://printabrick.org/ and on http://thingiverse.com * assorted standard bricks: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2626413 * holey bricks: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1095326 * sloped brick: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:527185 * corner L brick: https://printabrick.org/bricks/2357 * brick w/ peg: https://printabrick.org/bricks/2458 (I used this instead of a 1x2 hole brick + a friction peg, because I couldn't find a model for the brick) Brick dimensions are nicely described in this diagram from Wikipedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lego_dimensions.svg Print files for the black cardstock insert can be [found here](https://publiclab.org/notes/abdul/10-19-2016/foldable-paper-spectrometer-instructions). ...