Titaner's new Mix 3.0 ain't your average ruler. The clever dual-scale device boasts attributes such as an extendable measurement system, a measuring caliper, a magnetically retained pen, and a slide rule for performing calculations.
As has been the case with Titaner's past products, the Mix 3.0 is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. The device is made mainly of stonewashed Grade 5 titanium, with the exception of its phosphor bronze (copper alloy) inner slide-out section.
And first of all, yes, the thing can indeed be used as a plain ol' ruler, or as a straight edge for drawing lines. It has laser-engraved numerical markings going up to 12 cm along one of its edges, and up to 5 inches along the other.
However, what if you want to measure something that's more than 12 cm long? For instance, how would you go about measuring a 28-cm-long board?
Well, you'd start by laying the Mix 3.0 down on the board, with its 0 marking aligned with the left-hand end of that board. You would then slide the ruler's inner section all the way out to the right. That section has the last 2 cm of the ruler on its right-hand end, leaving the main body of the ruler 10 cm long.
Next, holding that far end down against the board, you would slide the main body of the ruler to the right until its inner section was back inside. That movement would represent a measurement of 10 cm worth of board. Doing it again would represent 20 cm.
To get the last 8 cm, you'd slide the inner section out until its right-hand end was aligned with the right-hand end of the board. You would then look at a marker on the left-hand end of the inner section, which you would see was aligned with the 8-cm mark on the main body of the ruler. Ta-da, 20 + 8 = 28!
We realize that explanation may be kind of hard to follow, so here's a video demo.
The inner section also comes into play for the ruler's caliper measurement function. You just slide it out to the width of the item you're measuring, then look at the marker on the left end of the inner section to see which number it's sitting at. Simple.
An in order to keep track of all your measurements, there's an optional titanium refillable ballpoint pen which is retained in the center of the inner section via an integrated magnet. There are also magnets that keep the inner section from sliding out too easily.
Finally, when it's time to crunch the measured numbers, you can flip the Mix 3.0 over and use its underside as a slide rule. We're not even going to try explaining how that works, but it's demonstrated in the video below.
Assuming the Titaner Mix 3.0 reaches production, a pledge of US$109 will get you one – the planned retail price is $199. The pen will cost you an additional $30, and it comes with a magnetic cap that can be attached to a keychain or lanyard.
Source: Kickstarter
