We asked each of the Kickstarter backer levels what they plan to do once they receive their spectrometer. Backers at the $400 level are receiving both the mini-foldable spectrometer and the desktop spectrometer next week (as well as the countertop and mobile spectrometers in February). Backers at the $200 level are receiving the educational six-pack of desktop spectrometers. Here's some of the ideas that people listed from the two backer tier.

Responses from other backer levels: $10 backer level $35 backer level $100 backer level

Related to light

• The elematary school will be using it as part of the light and shadow learning modules in grade 3/4.

Related to Water and Soil

• analyze soil organic matter and mineralogy, plant nutrients
• Water and plant extract samples
• Soil sampling in archaeology
• There are two environmental groups in Puerto Rico I work with & support which can use the spectrometers to monitor water quality pursuant to the care & restoration of coral reefs: Grupo VIDAS & Coral Reef Investigation & Conservation Alliance
• Geotechnical applications

Related to Food and Drink

• Test coffee with it!
• What's in our food?
• Foodstuff testing
• Analyze food spectra

Related to Household items

• Printing (Ink analysis, Paper analysis, Brightener detection)
• Ink development
• Analysing construction material samples

Related to biology and chemistry

• Mineral identification
• See how well it works in plant stress research
• Vegetation condition. Chlorophyll and nitrogen content of leaves. Leaf structural composition.
• Examine feces
• Identify plastics for recycling through 3D printer

Related to Chemicals (general)

• Due to time constraints will be playing with an eye toward contaminants and sediments
• Testing at various oil and gas sites
• Industrial Chemical Analysis

Related to Education

• Teach the uses of spectrometry
• Teach the younger people in my family what science can do and why it is important.
• I plan to use the gear in my (public) science talks and workshops at educational conferences and my astronomy club.
• We plan to test them, verify its functioning and then donate it to an educational institute's laboratory.
• Use it for demonstrations/teaching tool
• Incorporate them into teaching & learning
• Doing inquiry with middle/high school students.
• One for the husband, one for the kids and four for the school in Oakland, CA

Miscellaneous

• Geeking out :)
• Photography
• Sending it to Zimbabwe....