1435833
story
freitasm writes
"Geekzone is reporting on Ike, made by Surveylab. Ike is a handheld data capture device that integrates GPS, an electronic compass, a laser distance meter, an inclinometer, a digital camera, and a Pocket PC 2003 handheld in a single unit, ideal for GIS and other surveys."
Ah, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Ah, but... (Score:5, Funny)
It doesn't matter; the laser is not of "frickin'" spec.
Re:Ah, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Ah, but... (Score:2)
Re:Ah, but... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Ah, but... (Score:1)
My day (Score:4, Funny)
You were lucky (Score:2)
Good! (Score:3, Funny)
Good? GOOD?!? (Score:2)
Here's a thought: step away from the IKE and start walking towards the member of the appropriate gender of desire.
Re:Good? GOOD?!? (Score:3, Funny)
You might want to get out of that cave. GPS typically doesn't work well in such conditions, and we'd hate for that nice tech to go to waste.
Hey look! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Hey look! (Score:1)
tricorder feature list (Score:2)
So my question is, what exactly is a tricorder supposed to do?
What have I missed?
Re:tricorder feature list (Score:2)
The sensor assemblies incorporate a total of 235 mechanical, electromagnetic and subspace devices mounted about the internal frame as well as imbedded in the casing as conformal instruments. 115 of these are clustered in the forward end for directional readings, with a field-of-view lower limit of 1/4 degree. The other 120 are omnidirectional devices, taking measurements of the surrounding space
It also has data storage capacity of 6.91 kiloq
Re:tricorder feature list (Score:3, Funny)
Re:tricorder feature list (Score:2)
Re:Hey look! (Score:2)
I'll wait for Apple to relase one. Those come in with a mother ship hacking utility.
Is that a Pocket PC, GPS and Laser Range Finder... (Score:4, Funny)
I like it... (Score:2, Interesting)
I can see this being used by lots of folks probably not in the original target market: professional hunting guides. All in one unit rangefinder/gps/camera? Make it durable and I bet the hunting crowd would be all over them.
Archaeology (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Just a thought for you... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Just a thought for you... (Score:2)
They've released these for cell phones.
Re:I like it... (Score:2)
Of course, to image an object in 3D in any sort of reasonable time, your wrist will probably get a little sore.
Great... (Score:2, Funny)
Hell, they can even look at each other range finders to see who actually got the closest to a girl.
..they could have hooked up with ... (Score:3, Funny)
You mean, all the girls they could have hooked up with if they weren't carrying the combined GPS, electronic compass, laser distance meter, inclinometer, digital camera, Pocket PC 2003 handheld? Come on, even then it's unlikely.
Re:Great... (Score:2, Funny)
Read the article. The rangefinder only works up to 100 yards.
i'm waiting... (Score:2, Funny)
Been waiting my whole life! (Score:4, Interesting)
George Carlin (Score:2, Funny)
Europe and Japan (Score:2)
Yay! The tricorder is just around the corner (Score:2, Funny)
I love toys...
Re:Yay! The tricorder is just around the corner (Score:2)
The tricorder is old news - it's already been made (minus the ability to detect things like tachyons, of course) and the market spoke. The company (Vital Technologies in Bolton, Ontario, Canada IIRC) went tits-up, I believe.
Could be useful to golfers (Score:4, Interesting)
I've always been at a loss to tell them what they could use, at least when it came to handheld optical devices.
Re:Could be useful to golfers (Score:4, Interesting)
The $20 version simply has markings, similar to a rifle scope, where the user simply matches the height of the pin to the markings and reads the result. The farther away, the smaller the pin.
A $20 version that uses no batteries is often far better suited for most golfers, imho. The only time it's not as useful is when the pin is missing or non-standard size.
Re:Could be useful to golfers (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Could be useful to golfers (Score:4, Informative)
The only problem with these that I've found is that you need some decent flat surface perpendicular to the laser to reflect it -- so trying to laze, say, a building works pretty well, but trying to laze the flag on the green would be problematic (and I've had issues trying to laze some mammals and such at longer distances when trying to set my sights).
Re:Could be useful to golfers (Score:3, Informative)
Uses GPS to work out where you are and then calculates how far you are hitting the ball. Supposely there are a number of popular golf courses available for download so you can tell hole distance etc.
Must make sense for people who play this silly game. .
Re:Could be useful to golfers (Score:2)
Re:Could be useful to golfers (Score:2)
Detail level (Score:2, Informative)
Thats only a little higher that 1MP. Don't the GIS surveys need more detail than that?
one size doesnt fit all (Score:2, Informative)
Geological surveying
-Soil, large screen needed, ca
Re:Detail level (Score:3, Informative)
This thing is mapping grade, but of dubious quality. The world leader (also in New Zealand), is Trimble [trimble.com]. They will run you about 6k for a submeter accurate unit, that is rugged and comes with a good warranty.
Still... (Score:3, Funny)
Still, it's missing a wasabi dispenser.
GIS? (Score:1, Funny)
GPS not accurate enough (Score:5, Informative)
Re:GPS not accurate enough (Score:2)
I was given a demonstration of what they had back in 1994 when I was a Scout. They were accurate to the size of a dime (and that long before SA was turned off and WAAS was available -- so they are obviously not hampered by the scrambled signals).
Re:GPS not accurate enough (Score:2, Interesting)
For more information on GPS technology check out GPS equipment manufacturer FAQs [novatel.com]
Re:GPS not accurate enough (Score:2)
Since the device as depicted and described in the article appears to be a single GPS receiver, Carrier-phase D-GPS is not applicable. And there is the gotcha of a known reference point requirement which you didn't mention.
Re:GPS not accurate enough (Score:1)
Re:GPS not accurate enough (Score:5, Informative)
Re:GPS not accurate enough (Score:2)
Another plus is that if my Brunton somehow goes tumbling down a cliff, it should still work. What will happen if I accidentially drop this All-In-One device when trying to get dip on an outcrop that is on a cliff?
Re:GPS not accurate enough (Score:2)
I tested this theory, unintentionally. I'm happy to report that it still works as good as new. What a gorgeous piece of equipment.
As for your other points, you're absolutely right. I would only carry this tool if I still had my 2 compasses and maps in my pack along with me.
Re:GPS not accurate enough (Score:2, Informative)
Wow, that's really an uninformed statement.
There are plenty of apps where low-res is appropriate.
In my line (wildlife biology/gis), it is rare to require anything higher than 1 m resolution. And really, the datasets we use most commonly are 28.5 m res.
Re:GPS not accurate enough (Score:2)
There are plenty of apps where low-res is appropriate.
I did not mean to diss low-resolution usage - glad to hear such technology could be useful to you, but there was a naive subtext that traditional land/engineering surveying would be replaced with these high-tech gadgets without realising that they still operate on a very different scale of accuracy.
Re:GPS not accurate enough (Score:2, Insightful)
Wrong, each of these technologies is sufficiently accurate for surveying. GPS alone has (can have) an error rate of less than 2cm over 50 miles. You just have to have a known point. Everything can be calculated in real time or post processed. Most systems like this (certified for surveyi
GPS is accurate enough for most things (Score:2)
Re:GPS is accurate enough for most things (Score:2)
Provided they met Survey accuracy standards [gov.bc.ca] of 0.02 meters, 2 centimeters plus "100 parts per million times the baseline distance" up to 0.12 metres.
AFAIK a single receiver GPS, as found is all consumer grade GPS units, and based on the photo in the article, the device in question, do not met this criteria.
Re:GPS not accurate enough (Score:2)
I'll buy one myself (Score:2, Funny)
Oh no... (Score:4, Funny)
I hope Nokia didn't help them with the Bluetooth code.
Too much real-world value (Score:5, Interesting)
We just bought a few acres of land, and this device would have been the ideal tool for the surveyor. It's clear from the discrepancies between the survey drawing and the aerial views [dfwmaps.com] that the surveyor made his measurements, wrote them down, then made his drawing from his notes. The numbers are right, but the outlines of the buildings aren't quite where they should be.
This device, plus a windoze PC with appropriate software, will let the surveyor simply walk to the survey points, point & shoot, hotsync, and print. It's just what the surveyor needs to do his/her job.
So it's obviously too useful to be a geek toy.
Good detective tool. (Score:2)
This would probably make an EXCELLENT tool for detectives if it would digitally sign record collections. You can take photos and get imprinted GPS information. Take notes on them and record voice notes over the photos.
Re:Too much real-world value (Score:2)
Duh. This is Slashdot. If I had a clue what I was talking about, I would have to recuse myself from the discussion.
I can't wait... (Score:2)
Getting close, but not there yet (Score:2)
Great combo... (Score:2, Funny)
WTF MATE (Score:1, Offtopic)
hmmm (Score:2, Funny)
on a serious note, the perfect addition to the features on this would be cell phone. and wifi. i decided i'm going to wait out on getting a new cell phone until it does absolutely everything i want (no, not need - want).
wardriving... (Score:3, Interesting)
See here [agentgreen.org].
I never found my PocketPC all that great for usage w/the GPS (I am using PocketPC 2002 though). I have constant stability issues and in the extreme temps we experience here (it got down to -22 without windchill in January) the PocketPCs just don't hold up well enough.
Read the specs... (Score:2)
Not quite. Read the specs.
I have constant stability issues and in the extreme temps we experience here (it got down to -22 without windchill in January)
According to the page, these things are good only to 0C - so it would be useless for you.. and to add insult to injury, max. temp is only +40C.
With a temperature rage that limited (and the fact that it's not waterproof - not even IPX2), I gotta wonder what the market for something like this is
Sounds like a plowshare. (Score:4, Interesting)
Look at the target, center the crosshairs, read the *target's* GPS co-ordinates (or dump them into the battle net).
Wow... (Score:1)
There's probably a much bigger market for this device than most people think.
Survey Says... (Score:2)
Take a picture of the person who signs your petition/donates to your organization, get their photograph and GPS position recorded in a database.
AND SELL ALL THE DATA TO THE MATRIX PROJECT
MUAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHHAHHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes... yes... indeed.
Time to screw my tinfoil cap on a tad bit tighter now.
Could have used one of these at the SuperBowl... (Score:1, Funny)
Its not new (Score:2, Informative)
cost? (Score:1)
Military Applications (Score:2)
Heck you make it better you can give the average solider a 2000 lb hand grenade.
Real neat but expensive! (Score:5, Informative)
BTW, the secret to finding prices on a web site for products that "don't list price" is to check the press releases - reporters tend to ignore press leads that don't have an estimated price. It would not look good with readers to present rave article for a product none of them can afford or budget for.
Re:Real neat but expensive! (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Real neat but expensive! (Score:2)
Yeah, and it doesn't even include cell-phone capability. What were they thinking?
Now GPS + WIFI + PCS would be useful. Especially if I could develop software for it.
Dear Dad (Score:5, Funny)
war-walking (Score:2, Interesting)
Real Estate maybe but not professional survey (Score:3, Informative)
The title of top survey data collector is still the HP-48GX [johann-sandra.com].
When we ran survey we would try to grab the tripod with the HP-48 bracketed on it. This little data collector would make our lives easier, reduce the overall time for the survey and increase the time in the pub. All very good things.
HP-48GX - Good data bucket and a good deal cheaper than the grand that Topcon and such want for their Data Collection handhelds.
Battery Life (Score:2, Funny)
points range finder
Pocket pc is shutting down
D'Oh!
Laser Speed Gun? (Score:2, Insightful)
"ideal for GIS and other surveys" (Score:3, Funny)
Perfect for Geocaching! (Score:2, Interesting)
This is no *Pocket* PC (Score:2, Insightful)
Almost everything I want! (Score:2)
But it's tough to get all this into one package. Most add-on cameras and GPSr's for PDAs take the same CF or SDIO slot, meaning one or the other. Being able to take a picture and know where and exactly when it was taken from the GPS is useful. Now, if it only had a QVGA or better screen (can't tell from the specs), high-quality audio reproduction (yes, Win
Yeah, that'll work. (Score:2)
When they come out with a visible beam (doubles as a presentation pointer!) and 300-meter range I'll think about buying one.
What I want... (Score:2)
Re:What I want... (Score:2)
I'm serious - that would be really good to have *everything* in one box.
Re:What I want... (Score:2)
Comes complete... (Score:2)
sounds useful for the military! (Score:2)
The $6 version (Score:2, Informative)
http://zedev.com/software/rangefinder/ [zedev.com]
It's an optical rangefinder program for the Pocket PC. The program has a database of images (person, tree, car, etc) of known heights. You hold the Pocket PC at arm's length and resize the image on the screen until it's the same height as the distant image. Based on all that, it calculates the distance to the image.
You can also specify values like the height of your Pocket PC screen, the length of your arm, or the height of the thing you're measuring (if you wan
Perfect for Augmented Reality (Score:2)
Re:poor Ike... (Score:1)
A rehash of a previous post...
Excerpt:
In 1957 Eisenhower created the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA, a think tank charged with creating ideas to compete with the Soviet Union). To collaborate on these ideas, they created Internet?s predecessor Arpanet, first envisioned by the head of DARPA computer projects, J.C.R. Licklider of MIT.
Arpanet overcame this limitation with the development by Vint Cerf from Stanford University, of TCP/IP, or Transfer Control Pro
Re:Wow! (Score:1)