h a l f b a k e r yMake mine a double.
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Why do you need to focus on the walls? |
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So I don't crash into them |
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Isn't there an edge with the floor at the bottom that you can use for navigation purposes? (Having eyesight that is bad at any distance, I generally run my fingers along corridor walls to avoid inadvertent collisions.) |
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If the two lasers are aimed to converge at, say, a meter's distance, then, with a bit of practice, you shall be able to continuously judge your distance and closing rate upon those featureless walls. |
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Yes - sort of "Barnes Wallis" glasses. |
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Just walk with your arms extended in front of you. |
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"Look into my eyes, the eyes, don't look around the eyes, HAH, YOU'RE BLIND NOW! Don't worry, it's only temporary... I think..." |
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Joking, but a bloke my mum used to work with became blind in one eye because of one of them little laser pointers, so you might have to be a bit careful. |
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I knew it wouldn't take long for
someone to spot the Health & Safety
aspect to this idea. |
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"Sharks. With frikkin' laser beam glasses mounted on their heads." |
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I think the bible frowns on this or at least on the terminator's solution: "...first take the beam out of your own eye..." |
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You could point the beam at people and watch them dive from the line-of-sight of a nonexistant assassin. |
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Bristolz's anno makes a good suggestion for using two lasers. |
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A few years ago I read about a three-laser height indicator for helicopters flying nap-of-the-earth. Two lasers were mounted at the rear of the aircraft, and the single one at the front. They projected a three-dot arrowhead on the terrain in front of the aircraft, which automatically indicated an up-arrow or down-arrow as required. Some variation of that pattern might be be easier to use than focussing on an individual dot. |
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An alternative to the original idea is to detect the walls with sonar. Your ears can't pick up the echo of your steps on a office carpet. Singing or muttering continuously should give you some hearable echoes. Some clattery jewelry or a fool's hat might work, too. Some clown shoes have bells on them, and sound quite musical. A small, yapping dog could be carried, or maybe an angry rattlesnake. A parrot could ride on your shoulder, squawking, but that might not be appropriate for the office. |
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[baconbrain] That's a good idea - I'll just wander around at work muttering to myself. |
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