Wooden electronic ruler concept makes measuring fun again
By Donald Melanson 
posted July 25th 2009 9:48AM
posted July 25th 2009 9:48AM
Think the market on measuring things has been cornered? Think again, cause designer Shay Shafranek recently came up with this new concept that adds a bit of newfangled technology to and old fashioned wooden ruler. The secret, it seems, is a line of tiny metal points running along the edge of the ruler, which can detect when you touch 'em with a pencil and display the exact measurement on the LED display discreetly hidden inside. Better yet, the ruler can apparently store measurements and add 'em up as you go along, eliminating the need for any pesky remembering or math. Of course, it is still just a concept, and there's no indication that Shafranek has any commercial plans for it just yet. In the meantime, you can get a peek at its inner working courtesy of the clear version after the break.
[Via Technabob]
[Via Technabob]
I just want to ask this... how often in your standard life have you ever *really* needed this. I can't think of ONE time this really would've come in handy in the 10 years I've been doing carpentry. Maybe architects and the likes but they have calipers/protractors/etc. Someone contact fox news and tell them that southern states should teach their kids math before they start to measure.
Unless I see a video of the thing in action it is just a mockup that doesn't work. I don't think the designer has the ability to fund the creation of a printed circuit board for a design concept, or the ability to make one himself.
It is just a product concept. Just like a plant based computer or thousands of other concepts designed every day that will never make it into production.
PCBs are ridiculously cheap to order. You just supply a file to an online company (I think the program most people use is called Eagle), and tell them how fast you want it.
http://www.pcbnet.com/
You can't bend a wooden ruler
hmm... i wonder what other uses this ruler will provide...
cool
A digital clock is the inspiration for http://www.timeassociation.net/ which allows you to to share associations with the numbers on the clock.