http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/ Engadget Comments for Wooden electronic ruler concept makes measuring fun again http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
How soon before that graphite shorts out those contacts?
]]>Jul 25th 2009 9:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
Though by the looks of it, it'd need a hell of a lot of graphite to connect between them since they have open gaps between them, ]]>Jul 25th 2009 5:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 9:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
This is sweet. But it could always be better with freakin lasers.]]>Jul 25th 2009 10:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 11:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 11:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 12:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 9:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 10:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 3:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
Oh, and this looks like a classic solution looking for a problem.]]>Jul 25th 2009 10:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
1. This could be used to take VERY accurate measurements. Have you ever looked at a ruler and it matches up to one line if you look from one angle, but a different line if you look from another? This will simply tell you the measurement by touching the spot you want.

2. On particularly fine measurements, have you found yourself counting 1/32 of an inch only to lose track in the middle? Just like a digital clock is easier to read than analog, this will take the fuss out of reading the ruler

3. Have you ever been measuring something at the MIDDLE of the ruler, either because you are starting from 1 inch to make your measurement a little more accurate, or perhaps even 2 or 3 inches because you're trying to measure beyond the end of a line, but parallel to it? You have to take both points and subtract to get the length you want, but this ruler could do it by simply touching the two end points of what you're measuring on the ruler and letting it do the calculation.

4. Has your ruler ever been too SHORT to measure what you needed? the typical solution was to have to make the endpoint of your ruler, then move the ruler so it started from where you marked, then finally add all the lengths up manually. As stated, this ruler should be able to do that for you

Other Potentially Awesome Stuff

5. Multiplication could be implemented to allow the calculation of an area

6. A notch could be added at the starting corner, allowing you to rotate around a center point of a circle. If it was set up properly so that it could measure rotation, you could measure the length of a section of the circumference of a circle.

6a. Using the above method, combined with the ruler's ability ot automatically calculate length, you could set your pencil on the edge of the ruler along the boarder of a non-circular shape and trace the line while rotating in order to measure the area of a completely non standard shape.

those are just off the top of my head.

BUT (biiiig but) that's only if it's all set up properly. If they don't do enough with it, it's going to be a novelty at best.]]>Jul 25th 2009 12:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
JUST SWITCH OVER TO METRIC, ALREADY!!]]>Jul 25th 2009 1:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
there is always micro tapes, right?

........right?
]]>Jul 25th 2009 10:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 11:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 3:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 10:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/]]>Jul 27th 2009 5:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
Otherwise, very cool idea! ]]>Jul 25th 2009 10:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
Teach them to use a standard ruler.]]>Jul 25th 2009 10:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 10:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 5:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 10:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 11:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
When was measuring fun, and for who?

I can't wait to meet the girl whose hobbies include travel, long walks on the beach, and measuring!

LOL!!!]]>Jul 25th 2009 11:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
I'm just teasing, relax.
]]>Jul 25th 2009 12:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
Anyway, this thing is stupid because you cannot actually lay the ruler alongside an item and read off the length! Instead I'd have to put the item on a piece of paper, draw along the item with a pencil and then see the number.]]>Jul 25th 2009 11:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
http://freshome.com/2009/07/15/wooden-electronic-ruler/]]>Jul 25th 2009 12:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/

]]>Jul 25th 2009 12:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
It's all rendered and chopped.]]>Jul 25th 2009 2:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 26th 2009 8:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 11:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 11:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 12:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 1:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 12:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 2:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 1:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 1:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 1:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 3:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 4:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
Once again, Gizmodo>Engadget

And in the great words of Johnny Storm, "Flame on!"]]>Jul 25th 2009 4:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/
Incidentally those will be current limiting resistors to drop down the output current of the chip flowing through the LEDs.]]>Jul 25th 2009 5:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 6:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 6:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/what has the US come to we are so lazy
]]>Jul 26th 2009 12:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 26th 2009 6:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 8:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/25/wooden-electronic-ruler-concept-makes-measuring-fun-again/Jul 25th 2009 8:41PM