Constrained Ball
Aug.14, 2010 in
Idea, Stationery&Books
It’ll be the smartest tool in your pencil boxes. To draw straight lines, locate the “Constrained Ball” at the tip of the pen, move the drawing aid and then done! So with this writing tool, everybody can draw straight lines without the help of a ruler. But that’s not all, as the tool is also equipped with a measuring wheel that allows the users to draw desired line length in three directions—horizontal, vertical and 45-degree angle.
Designer: giha woo
August 16th, 2010 at 9:23 am
Where can I get one of the clever aids?
August 16th, 2010 at 9:25 am
Like a ruler, but not nearly as good.
August 16th, 2010 at 11:04 am
wow that is awesome, where can I get one?
August 16th, 2010 at 11:08 am
it seems to me as though this in no way helps draw a straight line. measuring might be useful, but the straightness nonetheless seems to depend on the steadiness of the hand…
August 16th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Want
August 16th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
…allows the users to draw desired line length in three directions—horizontal, vertical and 45-degree angle.
I’m trying to wrap my head around the concept that this device can let you draw straight lines in three directions…without also allowing you to draw straight lines in infinite directions. Pretty sure you can just move the paper or change the orientation of your hand, and presto, it can draw straight lines in any direction.
August 18th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
This is a concept; this does not exist.
August 18th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
could anyone explain to me how this would – in any way – assist in drawing a straight line? I can’t see how the single point of contact that the wheel makes could stop the pen tip from deviating from a straight line.
it’s interesting how thie whole design ideas craze has cropped up in the last few years. don’t get me wrong: it’s a good thing to think of new ideas. but things like this make it obvious that some people literally aren’t thinking about what they’re designing at all. it’s like they’re just excited because they have some 3D rendering CAD program and a blog.
August 18th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Saying this will draw a straight line is like saying a unicycle will only go in a straight line. You need two fixed wheels to constrain the direction of travel. This is a typical example of a designer trying to engineer something without understanding any of the underlying principles. Any slight twist of the pencil or pen turns the line into a curve. Any movement of the wheel while the point is stationary results in an incorrect measurement. It fails on both counts of it’s design.
August 18th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
I agree with anon “like a ruler, but not nearly as good.”. doesn’t help draw a straight line, can’t measure a line unless you draw on it, also don’t know how it is going to accurately measure the distance without any solid attachment to the drawing utensil. On a different note i like the concept, it just needs lots of work to be anything actually useful.
August 22nd, 2010 at 11:49 pm
I’d buy it… where will it be available?
August 23rd, 2010 at 4:24 am
also, measuring straight lines is pretty easy, but if it could measure curves I would be impressed..
September 1st, 2010 at 2:16 am
how can I get one of them?
I am a business man and it might appeal to some of my customers?
September 3rd, 2010 at 10:20 pm
to mike above: think odometer…as the wheel turns, you convert the rotation into distance (the circumference isn’t changing)
but yeah..i think it would take me less time to pull out a ruler than to put this thing onto my writing utensil
September 11th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
fugu is right. on top of that, you need electronics that small and an encoder for measuring the traveled angle of the wheel. it’s not cheap, it’s not even possible.
September 29th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
To Engineer above. “it’s not even possible”?? I’m possitive that history showed us that statement is always false. “There will be market for maybe 6 computers in the world” IBM’s CEO in the ’50s.
October 12th, 2010 at 10:28 am
its good
October 19th, 2010 at 3:02 am
i’m really interested about having one of them as a sample then maybe we can have a debate about a contract. so i want to now about price and shopping method.
would u mind if i asking to you guide me?
i’m living in iran.
November 17th, 2010 at 5:35 am
I have an awful time drawing straight lines without my computer. Even a ruler and tape and pencil often leaves me frustrated! It would be hard to be the graphic artist I ended up being without the computer and printers and plotters! I look forward to trying out the “constrained ball”! I guess elegance still applies to the non-computer world. I hope elegant solutions keep arising for man if we are to escape these earthly constraints. Thanks
November 23rd, 2010 at 1:41 am
it so nice i want to buy where shell i buy this
December 6th, 2010 at 1:41 am
Could see its application as a rudimentary device to help keep lines from being jagged. No, the lines wouldn’t be perfectly straight, but it may be faster than a ruler if learned to use efficiently for drawing rough sketches much cleaner. Plus when you use a straight edge with a pen, most pens tend to bleed, this device removes the straight edge. I think i’ll grab some cheap o-rings, some old model train parts, and make one myself, see how it works.
December 22nd, 2010 at 7:50 pm
It’s possible if you only apply force to push down then the lead and wheel will run in parallel lines.
March 12th, 2011 at 3:07 pm
Looks like a scam to me.
October 19th, 2011 at 5:36 am
how can I get one of them?
November 13th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
+1 for fugu. this is simple physics, not complicated computer stuff. nevertheless design would be improved by a tripod approach to withstand all forces coming from the hand trying to change the pen angle. But this time you wouldn’t have such a pretty gadget in your hand.
November 29th, 2011 at 10:16 am
Interesting idea… Shows an easier future for hand drawing but
with a simple ruler i can assay 0.1mm-s (this gadget doesn’t seem to give a chance, and before you ask, i’m an engineer and do need this exact lengths)
anyway, computer drawing is getting much faster in common use.
In education, you’ll still need rulers.
And as it seems, i can draw lines this straight without any extra gadget by hand
November 29th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
Anything IS possible (as mentioned a few times, above).
‘Props’ to the designer for conceptualizing this idea and putting it into practice.
Would this work if there were two wheels, set on 45° metal/plastic axis’, with one wheel rolling as shown i the photo and one rolling in opposition?
IE:
First wheel (as pictured) in relationship to pen: __
Second wheel (as theorized) in relationship to pen: |
‘Sorry. I know that isn’t the best diagram and I hope it makes sense. Basically the two wheels are simply opposing, thus allowing one to stabilize and one to assist in drawing the line, or vice versa.
Thoughts?
November 29th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
* “‘in’ the photo…”
November 29th, 2011 at 7:46 pm
It’s all about saving time. Sell me one now.
January 14th, 2012 at 4:11 pm
It would be interesting if it actually ensured straight lines and was built into a proprietary mechanical pencil (as opposed to being a rather fragile and easily misplaced add-on), so it saved even more time.