Our favorite part of "Star Trek" was the Enterprise herself, but it would be hard to watch the series and movies without noting the ubiquitous tricorder, in both generalized and medical forms. The X-Prize Foundation, which shot itself to fame in 1996 when it offered a $10 million prize for the first commercial space flight, which was eventually won by Mojave Aerospace Ventures, which later gave birth to Virgin Galactic.
In conjunction with Qualcomm, we now have the Qualcomm Tricorder X Prize, sponsored by Qualcomm and launched during last week's CES (the competition was announced in May of 2011, and was scheduled for launch at the 2012 CES). The prize will award $10 million to the individual or team that is able to produce a working prototype of a tricorder, specifically a medical tricorder.
Just as with the prior X Prize, there are strict criteria necessary in order to win the Tricorder X Prize. A device must have a screen and weigh less than five pounds to be eligible. It must be able to diagnose a set of 15 diseases. It also must be able to measure basic vital signs, such as pulse and blood pressure, and must be accessible via the internet. The use of external sensors is allowed.
The ultimate goal of this competition isn't a device for Dr. Crusher or Dr. McCoy to use, but rather to develop an affordable device that can be used AT HOME by consumers. The tricorder would diagnose common illnesses and recommend if the patient needs to see a doctor.
According to the Star Trek Wiki at Memory Alpha, the first tricorders were put into service in the 2260s. Ten teams will be chosen from the qualifying round of the competition, which is set for 2014. Those ten will advance to the final round in 2015, meaning a successful tricorder would beat Gene Roddenberry's vision by more than 200 years.
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