About this experiment.

This is a separate internal prototype of vent-frame measurement using the 8th Wall browser AR engine. It does not replace the existing dollar-bill photo tool.

What it measures

The scanner estimates real-world scale from camera motion. It checks tracked 3D points near the reviewed frame, then projects the four outside-frame corners onto a fitted vertical surface. Width and height average the opposing edges. No known-size object is required.

The fitted surface is not guaranteed to be the front face of the frame. Start with rectangular vents nearly flush with a flat wall. A raised frame, recessed mesh, wrong scale, or incorrect surface can produce a plausible but inaccurate result. Geometry checks cannot detect every error. Do not use this test alone for purchasing, cutting, or installation.

What the checks mean

The live scan checks broad-surface stability over time. After capture, a separate check looks for useful support near the selected frame and competing depths. Exported stability samples describe the broad live scan, not the selected frame’s local surface or absolute scale accuracy. They can catch some unreliable scans, but cannot prove that the fitted surface is the frame’s front face or that the estimated scale is correct. Where several frame outlines are plausible, choose the intended vent and review all four outside edges.

You can compare two saved scans of the same physical vent. Agreement shows repeatability, not verified accuracy: both scans can share the same bias. A tape comparison remains the independent check.

What to test

Measure the same outside frame with a tape measure, then repeat the AR scan from different distances and angles. Enter the tape values and export the test rows. Positive error means AR measured larger. Test on both iPhone Safari and Android Chrome, including phones without depth sensors. First-load downloads include approximately 7 MB for AR and 11 MB for automatic corner detection.

Your vent log

A scan is added only when you choose Add to vent log. Add an optional location note and set the quantity for vents you consider the same size. A quantity greater than one represents a shared measurement, not an individual scan of every vent. Editing a name, note or quantity does not change the original measurement date. Remeasuring an entry requires your confirmation before replacing its estimate.

Keep different properties or visits in separate logs. Download a branded PDF, share it using a supported device sharing menu, or choose email delivery when it is available. Exporting does not clear your log. The PDF lists estimated outside-frame sizes; it is not a product order or a guarantee of fit.

Privacy and storage

Camera frames and automatic corner detection are processed on the device. This prototype has no photo-upload endpoint. Images are held only during the current scan and review. Deliberately logged measurements, quantities, notes and optional tape values stay in this browser’s database. Saves update individual records, and conflicting edits are not silently overwritten. Logs are not synchronized across devices. Clearing browser data or closing a private browsing session can remove them.

If browser storage is unavailable, the app keeps results for the current visit and tells you to export them before leaving. Photos and corner adjustments are not saved with entries. Download or share a PDF to keep a separate copy of useful results. The testing CSV additionally includes optional tape comparisons and technical diagnostics.

PDF downloads are generated on your device. When you choose to email a log, its measurements and notes, the log name and the recipient email address are sent to the app’s server and email delivery provider so they can generate and send the PDF. Photos are not included. Email is sent only after you choose Send PDF. Download and device sharing remain available if email delivery is not configured or fails. The app can confirm that an email service accepted a message, but cannot guarantee it reached your inbox.

Hosting, access authentication and web-font providers may receive normal page requests.

Technology and licenses

Automatic frame suggestions use OpenCV.js 4.12.0 and the WDM geometric frame detector. Suggestions are editable and are not semantic proof that the selected object is a vent. OpenCV package license.

Both browser compatibility and actual measurement accuracy require testing on physical phones. Desktop checks and synthetic tests do not validate real-world scale.