InstruMMents 01 is a magic wand of inches and millimeters – a clever combination of hardware and software that simplifies the onerous task of measuring distances between points A and B into a playfully effortless rolling motion.
Our first thought upon inspecting the 01 is it shares an uncanny resemblance to the laser pointer we use in our house to amuse/annoy our cats with. And like that same device, this handheld digital measuring tool is outfitted with a red laser at one end, this one engineered to determine the depth of any object rather than to antagonize felines into a frenzy.
Adjacent to the laser element is a rubberized wheel that permits users to roll across any smooth surface – including curvilinear objects – for an accurate distance reading between points. The laser determines depth and shape concurrent to the rolling motion. Compared to the requirements of multiple and imprecise measurements using a ruler or tape measure, the 01 can seem like child’s play.
The other side of the 01 is outfitted with either a pen, pencil, or stylus nub for instances where additional details might require actual jotting down onto paper, phone, or tablet. But for measurements, no paper required. The InstruMMents 01 automatically logs measurements wirelessly and directly to an app (including conversion for scale plan readings).
The InstruMMents 01 is the sort of convenient and utilitarian tool with imaginable applications for both professional and personal projects, especially for designers, modelers, and builders who depend upon accurate measurements. But also for anyone attempting to accurately hang art onto a wall, or attempting to determine the size of a room, or even to keep tabs on a child’s growth spurts with pinpoint accuracy. After using the 01, the traditional fashioned tape measure, with its propensity to move out of place or slide back its length at inopportune moments, seems not only antiquated, but functionally stunted.