Ingenious titanium ring aims to replace your tape measure

While everyday carry (EDC) multitools are great at many things, they can fall short in the measuring department. The new titanium Tiroler ring fixes that by adding the ability to take measurements to your EDC kit, with a smart portable design.

You know the issue. Even if your EDC multitool has a ruler built into it, it's usually not very long, so you wind up measuring things in three- or four-inch increments, no matter how long they are. Enter the Tiroler, a titanium ring which is currently on Kickstarter.

The ring is designed so that as you hold the outside of it, the inside wheel is free to spin. As you roll it along a surface, that central wheel, which is marked with either an imperial or metric scale, turns.

The numbers are displayed through a small window in the outer ring and each time you complete one revolution, you get what the makers call "a satisfying click" that helps you keep track of how far you've rolled.

For the metric version, that click is delivered every 10 cm. The imperial version clicks after every five inches rolled.

So for example, let's say you were using the imperial version and measuring the edge of a piece of furniture. If you heard six clicks and saw the number three in the window, it would mean that the edge was 33 inches long because 6 x 5 equals 30, plus the extra three inches shown on the device. It's a clever way to pack pretty much limitless measuring ability into a very small form factor, as long as you can keep track of the clicks in your head.

Because of its rolling design, the Tiroler is also great at measuring oddly shaped objects like a seat cushion or a round bowl. And it does away with the need to struggle with the sharp and bendy metal strips that are common in most tape measures.

Thanks to its sleek design, it wouldn't look out of place worn as an attention-grabbing necklace. If that's not quite your style, it's also available with a small leather carrying pouch that would allow it to be clipped to your keyring.

The Kickstarter community certainly seems to think the Tiroler is a good idea. The campaign has raised over US$143,000 for an initial ask of $3,343. If you want to get in on the action, there are still 11 days left in the campaign with a few early-bird pledges left that will run you ¥8,650 (about $58) for the metric version or ¥10,300 (about $69) for the imperial model.

As this is a crowdfunded project, the usual cautions apply, but there is little doubt the project has raised enough to go forward. If things continue to go according to plan, the makers of the Tiroler say they will begin shipping in mid-December.

You can see the device in action in the video below.

Source: Kickstarter