We’re excited to unveil the first industrial design renders of JASPER, our open-source VIS-NIR spectrometer built for real-world food and agri diagnostics. Designed with frugal engineering and field adaptability in mind, JASPER aims to democratize spectroscopy — one sample at a time.

🧪 Sampling, Simplified

JASPER supports multiple sampling modes in a single compact enclosure:

• Cuvette holder for liquid samples (e.g., milk, extracts)
• SMA connector for fiber optic probes (e.g., fruit skin, leaf surfaces)
• Accessory port for a built-in tungsten halogen lamp, enabling standalone operation without external light sources

This hybrid approach allows users to switch between lab-grade and field-ready configurations with minimal fuss.

🔧 Design Highlights

• Modular front bay: Easily swap between cuvette and fiber probe interfaces
• Intuitive top surface: USB port and control button for firmware updates and calibration
• Compact footprint: Designed for benchtop use, but rugged enough for field deployment
• Open-source hardware: All mechanical and electronic files will be released for community iteration

🌱 Why It Matters

Spectroscopy shouldn’t be locked behind expensive, proprietary systems. JASPER is part of our mission at CheckAg to build accessible analytical tools for small labs, startups, and citizen scientists. Whether you're testing milk quality or fruit ripeness, JASPER brings lab-grade insights to your fingertips.

📣 What’s Next

We’re finalizing the optical layout and firmware, and gearing up for a product launch later this year. Stay tuned for:

• Exploded views and internal component breakdowns
• Optical design of the spectrometer
• Detector selection and electronic design
• Product build