08-22-2003, 03:00 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Use Pocket Rangefinder To Estimate Distances
http://www.zedev.com/rangefinder.html
"Pocket Rangefinder allows you to quickly and accurately measure the distance to far-away objects using only your Pocket PC." You use the image database, which is user customizable, to approximate the relative size of someone and Pocket Rangefinder will give you the estimated distance. It claims to be accurate within 5%.
It works on all Pocket PC devices. There is a trial or you can buy it for $5.95.
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08-22-2003, 03:08 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,398
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This doesn't seem all that practical to me. When I think of using a range finder, I think golf, hunting, or surveying. Most of the targets you'd use in these activities would be of variable size (trees, buildings, golf flag, people).
Also, the PPC would have to be an exact distance from your eyes for it to work correctly. Do they include a string?
Has anyone tried this? I don't have a cradle here at work (or a racecar).
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08-22-2003, 03:35 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 354
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This may work for object like cars where you already have a good idea of their size, but imagine seeing an aeroplane at great distance you might see
-\-
(like my ascii art?) But it could be anything from a radio controlled toy to a 747 which makes a huge difference to the actual distance, add to that atmospheric conditions...
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08-22-2003, 03:37 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 545
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Neat Idea
This is a Neat Idea but it's hugely inaccurate. This would just be ball park. It would be nice if the pocket pc OEM's would make a IR transciever that first the transmit side was strong enough and on the receive side was sensative enough to detect the reflected beam back, then you'd be able to creat a fairly accurate range estimator. As it is, this is just going to be good enough to estimate the range of the object from you. Kind of neat to try and the price is right.
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08-22-2003, 03:39 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,264
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It is saying that it is accurate in measuring the distance of a person to within 10 feet at 200 feet. This is a 5% variance. Assuming no variance in the user and that they have measured the length of their arm exactly, they are still missing an important piece, you don't know how tall the person is that you are measuring the distance of average height varies by more than 5% and that variance would multiply the inaccuracy of the distance being measured.
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08-22-2003, 03:42 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 541
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by David Prahl
This doesn't seem all that practical to me.
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I have to agree!
Even though all PocketPC's have a 240 x 320 resolution they have DIFFERENT SCREEN SIZES and this would have to be calibrated for the screen size (I don't have the software maybe they do this). Otherwise I think it's an interesting application that might be useful in some specialized areas (where the size of the object is known and fixed).
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08-22-2003, 03:43 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 495
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i havent tried it but there are 3 issues:
1. holding the device at different distances from your eyes will cause error
(as pointed out above)
2. the relative size of an object will increase the error as it gets smaller (ie is further away)
3. small objects will have larger error in estimating distance
not to mention how impractical it is to enter a matching photo into the device in advance.
how about this idea: hold your pocket pc at arms length with the calculator opened. walk to the object would like to use the range finder for and multiply the number of steps by 3 to have the "range finder" calculate the number of feet to the object :lol:
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08-22-2003, 03:43 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 76
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I wonder if the database includes a picture of their product. Cause I'm really far away from purchasing it.
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08-22-2003, 03:53 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 351
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nice idea
heh,
gee guys..., you're quick on the mark to diss the software.
I think its a neat application of the PPC *if* it works to some degree.. and ofcourse there is room for error in the application. Its good to see developers making innovating software.. like when people wrote software to use non-consumer IR in the PPCs to control TV sets.. yes, they only worked for a few feet, and narrow line of sight, but hey, that's really cool..
This sort of development kicks ass on any pacman clone IMHO
cheers
B
__________________
iPhone / iPod(s) / Mac Desktop & Portables.. yet I'm a Windows/MS Platform Dev ;)
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08-22-2003, 03:57 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,264
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Re: nice idea
Quote:
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Originally Posted by kiwi
heh,
gee guys..., you're quick on the mark to diss the software.
I think its a neat application of the PPC *if* it works to some degree
B
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We are "diss"ing it specifically because it does not appear that it will work to any degree to make it useful. I think it is more of constructive critisism. I will give the developer credit though for thinking outside the box.
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