Is your scarf really made of cashmere? Is this tie really silk? Such questions will soon be easily answered via a mobile phone camera, thanks to a small near-infrared spectroscopy system developed by researchers in Germany.

A technology known as spectroscopy has been used to analyze everything from whiskey to blood left at a crime scene. Now researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) in Dresden, Germany, have developed a spectrograph that can analyze various tissues and determine their composition.

The scanner operates in the near infrared range and analyzes the light reflected from the fibers. The device divides this light into wavelengths between 950 and 1,900 nanometers, converts them into electrical signals, and then transmits these signals to an AI-powered analyzer. By comparing the results against a database, the AI ​​system can quickly return a result describing the materials that make up any given piece of fabric.

“The optical resolution is 10 nanometers,” said Heinrich Grüger, researcher at the Fraunhofer IPMS Sensor Micromodule Department. “This high resolution means the NIR spectrometer can also use artificial intelligence to identify mixed fabrics such as polyester and cotton garments.”

Because the individual device is just 10 mm square (0.4 inches) and 6.5 mm (0.25 inches) thick, researchers say this could help textile recycling companies better separate materials for more efficient processing. And if this technology can be integrated into mobile phones and connected to camera modules, consumers will be able to instantly know whether fabrics sold in markets or retail stores actually match the seller’s products. these. It can also work as a laundry aid by detecting fabrics that have lost their labels and the information needed for proper washing protocols.

Researchers at Fraunhofer IPMS are not accustomed to creating small sensors for materials analysis. About a decade ago, they announced a small spectrometric system using similar technology that could determine the freshness of food right down to its packaging.

“We expect spectrometers to improve as much as digital cameras,” Gruger said at the time. “A camera that cost 500 euros 10 years ago is much less powerful than the cameras you can get almost free on your mobile phone today.”