For my mind map, I started out with broad topics and divided those into smaller categories. From there, I made connections between those categories and other things. My mind map includes new ideas in blue as well as smaller improvements in green.
Some of the better ideas from my mind map are a measuring sticky hand, temporary measurement tattoos, and an all in one measuring device.
Exaptation
For my exaptation, I decided it would be easiest to make another mind map surrounding the things I like. I first started out with larger categories and then tried to make connections between the things in those categories and tape measures/measuring.
Ideas
I ended up with 16 different ideas, so here are the 10 I think are the best, in no particular order:
- Shoes with laser measuring devices in the toes
- Measurement markings on pants seams
- A tape measure that can add 2 measurements together
- A fabric ruler that has detachable tape measures for measuring longer distances
- A tape measure for measuring round objects
- Measurement markings on a pencil
- Removable hoodie strings that have measurements marked on them
- Retractable tape measure hoodie strings
- A tape measure that can burn a measurement in wood
- A sticky tape measure that can stick to things to stay in place
TILMAG
The five functional requirements of a tape measure that I used in my TILMAG table are:
- Measuring long distances
- Measuring short distances
- Compact/portable or the ability to become compact/portable
- Easy to read
- Has a unit of measurement
I went through the process of filling out the table and I tried to include as many things as possible. The hardest functional requirement to fill out was measures short distances because I couldn’t really think of or find more than a few things that specifically measure short distances.
Ideas from TILMAG
- Hand Held Measuring Wheel — Like a regular measuring wheel but smaller
- String Tape Measure — The tape is made out of string instead of metal
- Folding Tape Measure — Instead of curling up, the tape folds
- Digital Ruler — A ruler with a slider for a digital measurement out put
- Measuring feet — Plastic feet that are 1 foot long that can be used to measure
- GPS Measuring System — GPS takes your coordinates at 2 points and finds the distance between them
- Measuring App — A tape measure app on your phone that measures distance as you walk
- Digital Measuring Cup — Tells you how many cups you have by weight
- Folding Square Attachment — A square that folds up for portability that can be attached to the end of a tape measure
- Long Distance Calipers — Calipers on a larger scale to measure bigger objects
SCAMPER
For SCAMPER, I tried to come up with as many answers to the given questions as I could for each category. I put these answers in the following table:
In total, I ended up with 56 different variations and improvements.
TRIZ
First, I tried using the steps of TRIZ to solve contradictions in improving tape measures. I tried it with two different contradictions and even though I am pretty sure I did it right, only a couple of the principles that it gave me really applied to the problems. I used the principles that could apply as well as some of the other principles to come up with my new ideas. The principles I ended up using were:
- 1. Segmentation
- 5. Merging
- 7. Nested Doll
- 16. Partial or Excessive Actions
- 26. Copying
- 28. Mechanics Substitution
Ideas
- Divide the tape into many smaller parts (#1)
- Combine the spring, tape, and end into one piece (#5)
- Use the lock to control the speed of the retraction instead of having a separate part (#5)
- Telescoping supports for the end of the tape (#7)
- Telescoping tube tape measure (#7)
- Make the tape of the tape measure longer than advertised so all of the advertised length can be used without the tape separating from the spring (#16)
- A two part measuring device — a ‘target’ and a ‘tracker’ — you point the tracker at the target and it tells you the distance to the target (#28)
- Use sonar technology instead of the tape to bounce a sound off of something and measure the distance (#28)
- An app that uses the things around you to figure out the scale of the object you want to measure to give you an accurate measurement (#28)
- A more accurate GPS system so you can pull up a map and measure the distance between two objects super accurately (#28)
10 Ideas- Sketches
Idea 1: A sticky hand that has measurements on it so it stays in place while you are trying to measure
From mind map
Idea 2: Temporary tattoos that have measurements like a tape measure
From mind map
Idea 3: A belt with measurements marked on the inside so it looks like a normal belt but it can be used as a tape measure
From mind map
Idea 4: Spring tape- the force from stretching the spring is converted into a distance
From mind map
Idea 5: Shoes with laser measuring devices in the toes- setting to measure from front of foot or back of foot- digital readout
From exaptation
Idea 6: A target that you place on the thing you want to measure to and a laser tracker that you point at the target from where you want to measure from that digitally reads the distance
From TRIZ
Idea 7: Two tape measures that are connected at a right angle that multiply the two measurements together to find the area of the space measured
From mind map
Idea 8: A hand held measuring wheel with a laser guide line
From TILMAG
Idea 9: A tape that looks like a train track but the long metal bars are flexible plastic and the wooden pieces are plastic with measurements on them
From mind map
Idea 10: A measuring device that has a tape measure, level, laser distance measure, square, and measuring cup combined into one
From mind map and SCAMPER
Idea 11: Pants with measurement markings on the seams
From exaptation
Idea 12: A pencil with measurement markings on it
From exaptation
Idea 13: Sticky tape that has measurements on it
From SCAMPER
Idea 14: Plastic feet that are a foot long that can be used to measure…
From TILMAG
4 People
I have reached out to a few groups of my friends and have been trying to find the best time to do my brain storming session to work around everyone's schedules. As of right now, the people I plan on meeting with are Braden, David, Stacey, and Brook at my apartment sometime on November 2nd. The exact time will be determined this weekend based on two peoples’ work schedules. I do have two other people who would be able to fill in if one of the four can’t make it.
Timeline
