Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 145

Idea I posted under software after seeing the program "Measure It 1.1" which turns your Visor into a ruler. (Hey, it's freeware.):

Is it possible to use the IR port to measure distances between walls? How fast does the processor or sensible the IR receptor need to be to do this?

If not possible, a SB (with laser) could do it, complete with a sort of CAD package (okay, perhaps not 3D).

e.g. you could draw a rough sketch of a house floor plan, which would be refined by program into a more respectable blueprint graphic. Then tap on the <-------> line between walls, place your Visor on one wall with the IR or SB directed at the other...voil�! Your living room measures 30ft by 50ft. A small reflecting device could be included to record dimensions between points with no vertical/reflecting surfaces.

For Real Estate brokers/agents, the dimensions could be automatically loaded into a standard listing sheet.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Saint Clair Shores, MI USA
Posts: 1

Goodidea, but IR won't cut it, and lasers are too unreliable.

I've seen sonic distance measuring devices just like you describe at Sharper Image for around $40. That technology could easily be turned into a springboard.