Tricorder
A tricorder was an advanced multi-function hand held computing and scanning device used to gather, analyze, and record , with many specialized abilities which made it an asset to crews aboard starships and space stations as well as on away missions. () 

Captain Donald Varley compared "little piece of legend" from an archaeological dig at Denius III that was believed to be of Iconian origin. Varley's engineers examined the object, but were completely baffled by its technology, leaving Varley to ponder its purpose. He likened his understanding of it being comparable to "a caveman confronted by a tricorder." ()

"Mr. Tricorder" was a joke made by Data in 2371, during an away mission aboard the Amargosa observatory following the installation of his emotion chip. He used a tricorder like a hand puppet and talked to Geordi La Forge. ()

During B'Elanna Torres' baby shower she weighed a gift in her hand that she had received from Tuvok before opening and noted that it "Feels heavy," before she guessed, "Baby's first tricorder?" Tuvok responded, that it was "not exactly", and Torres opened it to find a pleenok. ()

Operations 
One could learn how to use a tricorder from a tricorder operations manual. ()

Tricorders maintained their own tricorder logs, but were often useful for recording entries in personal or official logs. (; , et al)

Capabilities 
In the proper hands, a tricorder could be used or rigged to:

 Detect a cloaking frequency. ()
 Emit a homing signal. ()
 Set up a multiphase pulse. ()

Range 
EM interference limited tricorder range to as little as one hundred meters. () The jamming signal produced by the Jem'Hadar on AR-558 limited a tricorder's range to one hundred meters. () Similarly, a planet's atmospheric ionization jammed the transponders of tricorders, which rendered them useless. ()

In 2375,  Geordi La Forge modified a tricorder with one of Data's actuation servos, but it only had an operational range of four meters. ()

Components 
 Isodyne relay
 Optronic relay
 Scanner head

Types 
 Bajoran tricorder
 Jem'Hadar tricorder
 Klingon tricorder
 Romulan tricorder
 Starfleet tricorder
 Heavy duty tricorder
 Psycho-tricorder
 Medical tricorder
 TR-560 Tricorder VI
 TR-580 Tricorder VII
 TR-590 Tricorder X
 TR-590 Tricorder XI
 TR-890 Tricorder XV
 Trill medical tricorder
 Vulcan tricorder

Appendices

See also 
 Diagnostic wrap
 Tricom badge

Background information 
The original impetus for the introduction of the tricorder to Star Trek was outlined in a memo from Gene Roddenberry to Robert Justman, dated 14 April , stating with regard to the role of the 's Yeoman: "It has been suggested that she carry as part of her regular equipment...some sort of neat, over-the-shoulder recorder-electronic camera via which she can take log entries from the Captain at any time, make electronic moving photos of things, places, etc...it seems like it could also be a potentially popular toy item for female-type children." (The Making of Star Trek, p.169)

As of its third revision, dated 17 April , the series' Writers/Directors' Guide (p. 19) described the device thusly:

"TRICORDER: A portable sensor-computer-recorder, about the size of a large rectangular handbag, carried by an over-the-shoulder strap. A remarkable miniaturized device, it can be used to analyze and keep records of almost any type of data on planet surfaces, plus sensing or identifying various objects. It can also give the age of an artifact, the composition of alien life, and so on. The tricorder can be carried by Uhura (as communications officer, she often maintains records of what is going on), by the female yeoman in a story, or by Mister Spock of course, as a portable scientific tool. It can also be identified as a 'medical tricorder' and carried by Doctor McCoy." (Star Trek: The Original Series 365, p. 026)

In the final draft script of , a tricorder was used by Spock to ascertain that McCoy wasn't dead. In the final version of that episode, however, no device is used by Spock upon determining that conclusion.

According to Eileen Palestine, Geoffrey Mandel, Doug Drexler, and Anthony Fredrickson's Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual (p. 150), the name "tricorder" was short for "tri-function recorder."

The tricorders in  were designed by Bill George. (text commentary, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD special features)

In the documentary Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier, Brannon Braga ironically states that, although he didn't know what tricorders do, "they were probably used a little too often."

Recalling how the tricorders in  were designed, Aaron Harberts described them as "super-important [...] key props" that "nobody wanted to really change."

Real-world devices 
The first "real-world" tricorder was developed by a Canadian company called Vital Technologies Corporation in 1996.  The scanner was called the ; Vital Technologies sold 10,000 of them before going out of business in 1997. The TR-107 could scan EM radiation, temperature, and barometric pressure.

Many research laboratories are developing, or have developed, portable scientific analyzers. For example, in February 2007, researchers from Purdue University publicly announced their portable (briefcase-sized) DESI-based mass spectrometer, the Mini-10, which could be used to analyze compounds in ambient conditions without prior sample preparation. This was also announced as a "real-life tricorder" in later press releases. Truly hand-held devices, based on lab-on-a-chip systems, are also in development. These are typically more specialized than the Star Trek equivalent; however, it is believed that biomarker analysis will allow the development of a general-purpose medical instrument in the near future. 

Sandia National Laboratories in the US is a major center for lab-on-a-chip research, and have developed many handheld instruments for biological or chemical analysis. In May 2008, researchers from Georgia Tech publicly announced their portable hand-held multi-spectral imaging device, which aids in the detection of the severity of an injury under the skin, including the presence of pressure ulcers, regardless of lighting conditions or skin pigmentation. The day after the announcement, technology websites including Inside Tech and The Future of Things began comparing this device to the Star Trek tricorder. 

In October 2009, researchers from NASA showed their prototype for a device that detects deadly gases in the air; it contains a chip the size of a postage stamp connected to an iPhone. 

A mobile medical imaging lab that operates using inexpensive mobile phones was demonstrated in 2009. 

In April 2017, a seven-member, self-funded team took first place in the international Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE competition. Their entry consists of several parts that are used with a tablet. It exceeds the design goal by being able to help a layperson walk through the process of diagnosing thirty-four medical conditions. The tricorder is called DxtER (pronounced Dexter) and the team is looking forward to evaluation and testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. More information is .

External links

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Tools
Sensor technology