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Augmented Reality Tape Measure Smartphone Apps Now Available for iPhones

TapMeasure via YoutubeTapMeasure via Youtube

In July, we shared an article about a new augmented reality app that would allow iPhone and iPad users to use their devices’s camera as a tape measure.  That app, Air Measure, is now available for download after Apple’s iOs 11 release. 

Air Measure is free to download, but won’t be the only augmented reality measuring app on the market.  TapMeasure, by Occipital, Inc. will also use the device’s camera to measure, but has some additional and unique features, like being able to export your 3D measurements to SketchUp.

As we’ve said before, we don’t expect this technology to replace tape measures or even laser measures any time soon, but it could be a useful tool for contractors, especially for preliminary estimates and building models. 

No word yet when apps like this will be available for Android devices.

Below is a video of how the 3D Room Builder function works on TapMeasure.  The second video is a general overview of the app.

In July, we shared an article about a new augmented reality app that would allow iPhone and iPad users to use their devices’s camera as a tape measure.  That app, Air Measure, is now available for download after Apple’s iOs 11 release. 

As electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular around the world, researchers are trying to find ways to adapt the technology to heavier duty applications.  Due to the large size of projects and amount of money in the industry, the mining industry has seen its fair share of technological advancement. Several manufacturers, like Komatsu, have developed and released driverless dump trucks for mining operations in the past few years.  A team of companies in Switzerland is now working on a gigantic battery powered dump truck that will be tested for 10 years.

Video feeds on a construction site are not only great for timelapse videos, they can potentially help stop intruders who enter your site.

On August 18th, around 200 new tools were showcased at the annual DeWalt Media Event.  This particular event was held in Nashville, Tennessee, where you can’t escape country music no matter how hard you try.

Below are what we thought were the highlights of the event.  Let us know what new release you’re most excited about!

Falls from height is one of the leading causes of death among construction workers and ladders are a major contributor to that number. According to the CDC, falls from ladders caused 64 fatalities and 11,500 injuries in the construction industry alone in 2011. There are many things ladder users can do to make their work safer, like setting it at proper angles on level ground, checking for damage, and maintaining 3 points of contact, among others. One technology company is trying to take some of the thinking out of ladder set up.

When construction companies initially started to adopt mobile technologies like tablets and smartphones, there was a race between many construction technology companies to be the future leader in the area.  As the years rolled on, it became less and less likely that one app was going to be the end-all-be-all, like AutoCAD became in the architectural design world.  There’s not one app out there right now that provides every single function that a construction company needs, because each company is very unique.  The solution? Integration.

In March of this year, Elon Musk announced that Tesla would begin taking orders on their Solar Roof Shingle concept.  Tesla Solar Roof is a solar power roof system that eliminates the need for bulky solar panels installed over top of traditional roof materials.  Instead, the shingles themselves, which come in a variety of different styles, are the solar panels.

At the company’s second quarter earnings report, Tesla announced that the first solar roof installations have been completed.