  An innovative particle detector that offers a compelling combination of
cost-effectiveness and high accuracy is introduced. The detector features
plastic scintillators paired with a sparse arrangement of SiPMs, strategically
positioned within a unique opto-mechanical framework. This configuration
delivers precise measurements of spatial impact position and energy deposition
of impinging particles. The manuscript describes the detector's physical model
complemented by an analytical representation. These calculations underpin a
numerical algorithm, facilitating the estimation of particle impingement
position and energy deposition. The results of the numerical calculations are
compared with the output of GEANT4 simulations and evaluated by rigorous
laboratory testing. An array of these detectors, intended for deployment in a
spaceborne experiment, underwent detailed design, manufacturing, and testing.
Their performance and alignment with the physical model were validated through
meticulously conducted ground-based laboratory experiments, conclusively
affirming the detector's properties.
