Post by microfarad on Oct 15, 2012 5:57:57 GMT
If you've seen my Slides Rulez thread you'll know that I invented a paper slide rule bracelet which anybody can print and then use to perform various impressive mathematical operations with unimpressive accuracy. However, I have found the bracelet handy for approximating figures off the cuff. Especially useful has been the ability to compare values of food products with differing prices and net weights. Since I've started using it I've realized that beyond being an excellent novelty and nerd status symbol, the slide rule bracelet is in fact a handy tool which you can feel cooler than anybody else while using. You'll also know from reading the thread that I pushed to create a dev team which is my typical and irrational response when faced with a cool idea. Then when I was told that this was totally irrational, I made some sort of flamey post. Apologies. The purpose of this thread is to collect and organize ideas for expanding the functionality and increasing the quality of wearable slide rules, not to assemble a dev team or anything silly like that.
Here are some of my current ideas. Regarding where extra scales will go, I could implemented a set of scales on the inside of the bracelet, rather than wasting that space on copyright notices and colorful backgrounds.
Add a log(n!) scale which can be compared against a log scale to obtain good estimates of n factorial. This will be useful in calculating odds and probabilities.
Add markers for common ratios, facilitating easy unit conversion.
Possibly add different kinds of trig scales, since doing most operations currently requires using the brain more and the bracelet less than is optimal.
Currently angles are selected on the scale, then it is compared to a linear scale to obtain the result. Might it make more sense to select angles as angles around the bracelet, then somehow indicate the trig values on the scale for that given angle? The bracelet IS a circle, this is more intuitive, but rather unconventional.
Add some extra markers which can (somehow???) easily slip past each other to keep track of numbers, especially powers of ten.
Research possibility of printing on Tyvek.
Look into clever ways the bracelet may fold and unfold to expose different sets of scales.
Include markers for common physical constants, such as acceleration of gravity, constants regarding the strength of various natural forces, Avogadro's number, etc.
Take a step back and consider which features are which are extraneous OR allow users to generate custom configurations.
Consider the utility multiple sliding scales may have, if any. Perhaps they would be side by side or perhaps they could be nested. But what good would this do?
Here are some of my current ideas. Regarding where extra scales will go, I could implemented a set of scales on the inside of the bracelet, rather than wasting that space on copyright notices and colorful backgrounds.
Add a log(n!) scale which can be compared against a log scale to obtain good estimates of n factorial. This will be useful in calculating odds and probabilities.
Add markers for common ratios, facilitating easy unit conversion.
Possibly add different kinds of trig scales, since doing most operations currently requires using the brain more and the bracelet less than is optimal.
Currently angles are selected on the scale, then it is compared to a linear scale to obtain the result. Might it make more sense to select angles as angles around the bracelet, then somehow indicate the trig values on the scale for that given angle? The bracelet IS a circle, this is more intuitive, but rather unconventional.
Add some extra markers which can (somehow???) easily slip past each other to keep track of numbers, especially powers of ten.
Research possibility of printing on Tyvek.
Look into clever ways the bracelet may fold and unfold to expose different sets of scales.
Include markers for common physical constants, such as acceleration of gravity, constants regarding the strength of various natural forces, Avogadro's number, etc.
Take a step back and consider which features are which are extraneous OR allow users to generate custom configurations.
Consider the utility multiple sliding scales may have, if any. Perhaps they would be side by side or perhaps they could be nested. But what good would this do?
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