MEAZOR Compact Laser Measure Hands-on Review: Analogue to Digital Ruler of the Future
With the metaverse imminent, it creates new needs in bridging the gap between the analogue and digital world. If you were to simulate the physical environment that's around you in the virtual world, you'd be faced with quite an arduous task of measuring, sketching and transferring that to some sort of CAD program.
The MEAZOR laser measure presents a solution that is designed to significantly accelerate this process. Roughly the footprint of a credit card, how effective is the MEAZOR in digitizing the physical world with ease? Let's dive in to find out.
Rugged All-metal Chassis
The MEAZOR might be small in size but it's big on durability. It's a rugged and very pocketable device, being made with a solid aluminum chassis.
It's appearance immediately brought back memories of a classic mobile phone from 2002: the Motorola V70 - but equipped with a 2022 1.3" 184ppi round LCD touch screen that's covered by tempered glass.
The minimalist design carried over to the hardware controls, which is mostly done with a single button on the front in addition to the touch screen.
On the base there's the innovative rubber wheel that plays a key role in room scanning, a protractor as well as being used as a rolling ruler in the Scale Ruler mode. It's apparent after a few turns of the wheel how well this is made, seen from the smoothness of the rolling action and the accuracy in the reading.
Turning to the rear of the device, there is the USB-C charging port, as well as the 1/4" female thread for tripod mounting, and an innovative feet that can be unfolded to be used as a stand to be used for the laser measurement mode.
Finally on the top of the device, is the laser emitter as well as the receiver, the main measuring sensor.
Range and Accuracy
Okay, so it has an excellent build. But what's more important as a measuring device is accuracy. Can the MEAZOR actually provide accurate measurements, and what are its limitations? Putting it head-to-head against a tape measure, the result? It is surprisingly accurate, as promised in its specifications.
According to the HOZO Design official specs, the MEAZOR can measure between 0.3 - 82 feet (0.1 - 25 m), with a resolution of 0.04 inch (1 mm). It does this with a maximum accuracy of plus or minus 0.12 inch (2 mm). In terms of drawing up floor plans, this is more than adequate, and will do far better than reading a tape measure.
There is a limitation however, since the MEAZOR does measure the reflected laser, the accuracy does depend on the surface that it is measuring off. If the measured surface has very low reflectiveness, or you're using it in a brightly lit place, e.g. under the sun, it's measurement can be off by plus or minus 1%.
One well thought out function of the Laser Measure mode of the MEAZOR is that you can select which datum you are measuring off. You can either measure from the top or the base of the device - depending on what you're measuring. Like a skilled tape measure user who can measure an inner dimension by folding it in a 'V', the laser measure has you covered.
In my experience, in most indoor measurement situations, the MEAZOR is much more reliable than a tape measure would be, which has many other factors that can affect its accuracy, like the tension of the tape and misreading of the markers.
More than a Ruler
Though laser measurements constitute the core function of the MEAZOR, it can do a whole lot more than that. Including taking laser measurements, it has six core functions: Scale Unit Measurement and Conversion, 2-D Floor Plan Scanning, Curve Scanning, Digital Protractor and a Bubble Level.
The Scale Unit Measurement and Conversion mode is the most interesting to me, as it turns the MEAZOR from a ruler for measuring physical objects to a ruler for a floor plan. By setting the scale, then aligning one of the three LED lights on its base, you can run the device along the line you're measuring on the drawing and get a quick reading with a plus or minus 1 mm accuracy. This then enables you to immediately check a measurement on paper with the physical building.
In my personal use, I found the 2-D floor plan scanning to be the most used function. By setting the MEAZOR on a tripod, its swivel comes into play where you can now turn the laser pointer to mark various corners in the room and get a 2-D plot of the room. Once the room is plotted, this is where the mobile App comes into play.
App Support
In each of the six main modes of the MEAZOR, you can send the measurement/plotted line straight to the MEAZOR App (Available for both iOS and Android). The app itself is a simple and very easy to use 2D floor plan CAD program, with built in elements including Wall, Door, Window and Stairs. It's not going to create an entire house plan, but it's great at whipping up a floor layout with accurate dimensions in a very short time when used with the MEAZOR.
Final Verdict
As the online world continues to exponentially expand, a rapid process to convert physical spaces into virtual ones is a need that would need to be addressed. MEAZOR is one of those rare products that has the potential to be a game changer. With seemingly more functionalities that might be added to its app, the possibilities are endless with how far this hardware can be used for creating virtual plans that can be developed into worlds. We're awarding the MEAZOR with the IBTimes Recommended Badge.
David is a tech enthusiast/writer who is often on the move and is on a mission to explore ways to make his overhaul flights more enjoyable. This is a contribution to an ongoing IBTimes review series on gadgets for Business Travelers.
