Spike illustration – Measure any building with a click
Real Spike measuring part of a building
Need to measure a building, a billboard or even a tree? want to create a 3D model of the inside of a house? Until now you needed expensive equipment and quite a bit of work – enters Spike – a new smartphone accessory which uses a tiny laser and sophisticated algorithms to help you measure and model everything on the fly.
Developed by U.S. company ikeGPS which specializes in professional measuring technology, the Spike aim to revolutionize the way we look at the world and measure things. Say you are in a golf field and want to measure the distance to a far off tree? just take you mobile phone with the Spike attached and press a bottom. Working as an interior decorator and want to measure the inside of a room for your client? with a few clicks you can measure the entire room and with a few more you can create a 3D model.
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So how does the Spike work? This relatively small unit attaches to you mobile device (any device should be O.K. according to the company). The Spike includes a laser range finder, advanced GPS, 3D compass, a digital camera and BT for communicating with your mobile device wirelessly. All of these components work together with a special app on you mobile device to capture information regarding the distance of objects from the device (using the tiny laser rangefinder) and based on some smart algorithms measuring the size of any building, wall, sign, tree or almost anything else becomes pretty much a child’s play.
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Here are a few technical details about the Spike
- Range – 6-600 feet (2-200 meters).
- Laser resolution – 8 inches (0.2 meters).
- Dimensions – 3/5x2x0.8 inches (90x50x20mm); Weight – 3.5 oz (100 grams).
- File output formats – JPEG (measurments in the EXIF header), CSV, Google KMZ, SHP and ikeDesktop.
Although ikeGPS is an established company which is already selling professional measuring units around the world (including to the U.N. for example), its founders decided that the best way to promote this innovative product will be through Kickstarter – and it seems to be working for them. The Spike already raised the project $100k goal and there are more than 2 weeks left.
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With a price of under $400 (currently) this device can be a real success for many professionals from architects, engineers, interior designers, insurance appraisers or just hobbyist who think it’s cool to be able to measure anything in the real world with a few clicks.
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It’s worth mentioning (and to be fare ikeGPS themselves mention this) that for indoor uses there are other – maybe more suitable solutions such as the Structure Sensor project – which raised over $900k (we might cover it here on TFOT in more depth soon) but for anything beyond several feet – the Spike if definitely worth checking out.
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A look at the Spike and what it can do
