Modular 3D-printed biophotonic platform for cost-effective hyperspectral and polarimetric imaging

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) provides a powerful, non-destructive method for obtaining spatially and spectrally resolved information across diverse applications. However, conventional systems remain limited by high cost, complexity, and bulkiness, restricting their use in resource-constrained environments. This study presents a cost-effective, modular hyperspectral and polarimetric imaging platform developed using 3D-printed components and open-source software control. The system integrates a linear variable long-pass filter (LV-LPF) mounted on a motorized translation stage with a monochrome CMOS camera and LED-based diffuse illumination, enabling continuous spectral scanning between 450–720 nm. Calibration and validation using laser and LED sources yielded a mean absolute error (MAE) of 10.0 nm, a spectral precision of 10 ± 1 nm FWHM, and a stable wavelength registration drift of ±4 nm. Radiometric analysis achieved an average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 20 ± 3 dB across the visible spectrum. Application to healthy and diseased rice seeds demonstrated clear spectral and polarization-dependent contrasts, with mean degrees of linear polarization (DoLP) of 0.18 ± 0.05, revealing distinct structural and subsurface variations. The results confirm the system’s potential as an adaptable, low-cost optical imaging tool for crop-health assessment.