A low-cost UV-Vis spectrometer is being constructed for widespread use in developing nations. Consumer digital cameras have driven down the price of digital imaging chips; the spectrometer uses digital imaging to obtain a spectrum. This image is then sent to a computer and processed to produce an absorbance spectrum. Currently, the spectrometer distinguishes between colors and varying concentrations of test material and produces spectral data consistent with a commercial UV-Vis spectrometer. When finished, the spectrometer will be capable of food analysis and chemical and biochemical experiments. Recent and future work includes the development of IR spectrometers, FT-IR spectrometers, Raman spectrometers, and mass spectrometers.