The most exciting creations to appear on Kickstarter and Indiegogo are often the simple things you find around the house – re-imagined. No different is the Bagel measuring tape.
What is the Bagel?
The Bagel is a digital measuring tape which allows you to measure a wide variety of shapes and sizes. It also provides analysis of the measurements it calculated. It’s currently on Kickstarter seeking $30,000 in funding. The good news is they are just under one million dollars in funding.
How does it work?
The Bagel has three measuring modes. String mode, wheel mode and remote mode. Using patented technology it converts your action into measurements to an on-board screen and smartphone powered application.
Bagel String Mode
Bagel String Mode allows you to measure in straight lines, similar to a traditional measuring tape, but with the added benefit of being able to wrap around objects too. The greatest tragedy to befall the Bagel is that it won’t make the cool sound when it goes flying back… you know what we’re on about.
Bagel Wheel Mode
Bagel Wheel Mode allows you to run the device along lengths to measure. What you’re measuring can be any shape, making this incredibly useful. The main benefit of wheel mode is the ability to measure with one hand in awkward situations.
Bagel Remote Mode
Remote Mode is the big winner. If you’re looking at measuring a room or something and simply couldn’t be arsed walking all the way to the other side – because you live in a mansion – Remote Mode uses a beam to measure distance to an object.
The really smart bit…
Once you’ve finished taking your measurements, you will see the all important numbers on the built in LED display. The Bagel goes even further and logs everything into the companion app on your phone via Bluetooth. You can even add voice descriptions as you save the measurements, making the whole deal of measuring very easy indeed.
Everything else we have in life is becoming smart, so it’s probably time we replace a century old piece of technology. The reaction on Kickstarter would surely suggest this is the case. The CAO recently announced there was a surge in applications for college courses relating to construction so it’s likely builders and engineers of the future will have very different tools. The only thing we have a problem with is how enjoyable it was to let traditional measuring tapes retract. Ah well.
