STEM Lab Curvimeter

Model size 11.5*10.3*5.7 cm
Number of parts 109
Construction time estimate 2
PDF Manual HERE
Assemble with your own hands and discover how a curvimeter works. The model comes with a QR code that redirects you to the learning environment of the mechanism, its main operation and features, formulas and interesting tasks. In augmented reality, you will see how the curvimeter works. Communicate with the model via Ugears’ special AR application.

The curvimeter – or opisometer – is a device that measures the length of curved lines and helps calculate the distance between points on a map more accurately than a ruler or compass. You rely on the curvimeter when planning a hike with your friends or family. It helps you determine the distance to your final destination. The device is especially useful when you do not have access to electronic gadgets or the Internet.

Who invented the curvimeter and when?

There is no verified information about the actual inventor of the curvimeter. Some sources say that credit for the invention belongs to Roman engineer Virtuvius. He describes a very similar device around 23 BC. Others refer to a Chinese scholar, Zhāng Héng. Russian sources suggest that the curvimeter was supposedly invented by polymath Mikhail Lomonosov, who, presumably, initially called it a “krivimetr.” All in all, the official first