A good tape measure makes every carpenter's Top 10 list of must-have items. Bagel Labs has souped it up to be a dream tool for measuring just about anything.
The Korean-based startup's Bagel smart tape measure appeals to a far wider audience than builders and hobbyists. The 80 x 80mm, 4.2 ounce polycarbonate hard-cased item sports three different modes for recording distances, but none of them involve the use of conventional tape.
The Bagel's 10-meter string enables measuring flat and curved surfaces, as well as various body shapes. In wheel mode, it can measure distances on curved and oddly shaped surfaces up to 10 meters. In remote mode, a laser pointer and ultrasonic sensor can tell precisely how far away objects are up to a range of five meters.
It can also save measurements, record voice memos, and send data to a mobile app for easy organization and analysis. After taking measurements, all data can be saved with the click of a button. A voice memo function with transcription ability allows for recording to a handy smart phone app via Bluetooth.
Both iOS and Android versions of the mobile app are free. Once uploaded, all the data can be browsed and exported to use on a computer.
The Bagel also sports 32GB of internal memory, good for up to 100 measurements and voice memos. All logs can be reviewed on its digital display. Measurements can be made in metric or Imperial units.
For the weight conscious, human body dimensions can be easily graphed to display changes over time – a cool, if not somewhat off-beat reason for buying a tape measure!
"The Bagel is really an all-in-one device that eliminates the need for any other measuring tool," says Bagel Labs strategist David Byun. "Making inroads into the professional user market is one of our goals."
After a few tries, the Bagel is indeed handy, and reviewers seem to like it.
"In terms of accuracy, a maximum 0.5% bias isn't much…especially considering that any faults are made mostly by the firmware and not the sensor's hardware," says nerdytech.com's Tech Guru. "This is an advantage, because the firmware can be upgraded as Bagel makes improvements, via Bluetooth connection to your smart phone or tablet."
Priced at under $75 per item retail, Bagel Labs offers discounts for volume buyers as it aggressively seeks fundraising capital.
