2nd Sight Bioscience releases InstaCaliper

2nd Sight BioScience has released the InstaCaliper, a new way to measure, count, and catalog nursery stock.

The company took the feedback received from attendees at the 2015 Farwest nursery show into account when developing the InstaCaliper. At the show, growers expressed several common frustrations about taking inventory of ornamental and fruit tree nursery stock. Bending and kneeling take a physical toll, and manual recording is time-consuming and error-prone. The InstaCaliper was developed to be an easier, faster, and less expensive way for nursery growers to get the job done.

The most important InstaCaliper feature is its simplicity of use. By sliding the two prongs of the electronic caliper head around tree trunks, growers can measure and record their diameters automatically. In one simple motion, employees record date, time, diameter, GPS location, and other important grower-entered information such as variety, grade, block, and row. At the end of the day, sync the data from the Ruggedized Handheld Computer to a web portal for easy inventory analysis.

Another important InstaCaliper feature is its adjustability – for users and for field use.

“The tall and short of it… so to say, is that trees and people come in many sizes,” said Bob Alexander, head of sales and marketing at 2nd Sight. “Customers can be 6’5” or 5’1” tall. We knew that we needed a height-adjustable device with a good counterbalance. We had some great suggestions at the 2015 Farwest tradeshow, and, once we knew what customers wanted, with a little research, we found an adjustable armrest with an ergonomic pistol-grip handle.”

In the field, low branching and spreading trees make measuring with traditional hand calipers difficult. In contrast, the InstaCaliper arm can reach 52 inches, making bending to measure unnecessary. When above-ground pots and bagged trees are tightly packed and inner trees are hard to access, the InstaCaliper arm can collapse down to 24 inches. In both cases, based on customer feedback, the InstaCaliper head has been designed to allow for easier maneuverability in tight spacing and the angle makes the caliper head less likely to get hung up when pulling it in and out of densely-packed trees.

Finally, the InstaCaliper is designed for use in harsh environments, is water and dust-resistant, and can operate in hot and cold temperatures.

Learn more about the InstaCaliper here.