Use your iPhone as a ruler with VisualRuler app. VisualRuler is designed to calculate the size of nearby objects using iPhone’s camera. The app uses computer vision techniques to measure the size of an object next to a reference rectangle which can be any ID or credit card.
Here is how VisualRuler works:
- Place a card next to the object you want to measure, and take a picture.
- Open the picture in the app and VisualRuler will automatically detect the card. Readjust the reference card, if the app does not detect it correctly.
- Then draw lines or adjust rectangles around the edges of the objects to measure them.
- You can save the resulting image to your Photos app or share it on different social platforms, like Facebook, Twitter and more.
- For measurement, a reference card is a must. Since ID or library cards have the same standard size, you can use any rectangular card las a reference rectangle.
- Since such cards contain personal information, VisualRuler does
not share your images online or on social media without your knowledge or consent.
During a with users on Producthunt, the developer Altaibayar Tseveenbayar answered many questions regarding the functionality of the app. As an answer to the problem of finding it hard to add lines and rectangles to measure objects, he shared that he is designing another iteration and also working on improving the user interface. He added that users should not worry about measurement’s inaccuracy due to camera distortion because the app measures objects nearby which only introduces inaccuracy in millimeters.
VisualRuler only measures objects on the same 2D plane as the reference card so it will not work with everything.
VisualRuler is available for $2.99 on the App Store. It requires iOS 9.0 and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
