What if you could know immediately the composition of nearly any product? SCiO, presented by ConsumerPhysics, introduces an intriguing, affordable method of doing so. SCiO is a non-intrusive, no-touch optical scanner that can determine the chemical makeup of an object within seconds.

“I think it would just be truly remarkable to have the ability to know that my plant, or my pet, even, could be dying of dehydration,” freshman Lauren Ma said.

SCiO can successfully scan just about any object seamlessly, including most plants, foods, and medicines. However, caution needs to be emphasized in noting this invention should not be used as a medical device under any circumstances.

“Not that I would necessarily use the SCiO to perform such operations, but even the thought of something that has those capabilities is truly mind-blowing,” Ma continued.

The SCiO uses an optical sensor called a spectrometer, which breaks down a light sample that includes information about the tested object in order to determine the makeup of what was scanned.

The SCiO generally can scan objects up to about 300 times before needing to be charged. When the time comes to charge your SCiO, you simply plug it in to a computer as if you were charging your phone.

“It would be really cool to have a handheld thing like that, you know? There’d just be so much knowledge in my palm, and I just can’t wait to uncover it,” science teacher Mrs. Jennifer Scheidler said.

ConsumerPhysics plans to release SCiO sometime in July of 2015, and you can pre-order one for yourself and your own enjoyment for just $249, along with other SCiO products here.