Laser Tape Measure Hacking Challenge
Ever thought about hacking a laser tape measure? Now's your chance!
Have you ever played with one of those nifty laser tape tape measures, you may have thought, "Could I hack this thing..?" If that idea has never crossed your mind - well - then maybe this new tutorial (and associated incentive) will change your mind.
This tutorial, "Laser Tape Measure Hacking," comes from SparkFun CEO Nate Seidle (aka, El Queso Grande). Nate was intrigued by the idea that if he could hack a laser tape measure, it could be used in autonomous vehicles, 3D scanning, or any number of other applications. So Nate set out to hack the device. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to wrangle the serial controls and hit a wall. That's where you come in.
This is the "advice" from Calculated Industries. Helpful.
We are issuing a challenge to any of you SparkFunners out there - if you can hack the serial interface for the above Leica-based laser Interferometer (or something similar), we will give you $100 of SparkFun credit and 15 minutes of fame on the homepage (and maybe buy you a beer if we ever meet you). You'll need to document the build and provide us with the proof you did it via our project call form or by providing a link in the comments section of the tutorial.
Check out Nate's tutorial for a good start on hacking this device and the issues he encountered. Good luck!
