Measurement in Daily Life
Modern society simply could not exist without measurement. Twenty-first century civilization is inconceivable without the indispensable measurement tools on which everyday life depends. Time, size, distance, speed, direction, weight, volume, temperature, pressure, force, sound, light, energy—these are among the physical properties for which humans have developed accurate measures, without which we could not live our normal daily lives.
Measurement permeates every aspect of human life. Yet, ironically, we tend to take measurement for granted, and we fail to appreciate just how much we need and depend on our measurement tools. We overlook the importance of measurement because we are surrounded by it and have grown accustomed to it. It is only when our measurement tools malfunction or are unavailable that we begin to appreciate just how important they are.
This interactive map provides a few examples of where measurement has an impact on our lives.
Open Map in English (external link)
Open Map in Te Reo Māori(external link)
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Measurement in Daily Life
The Measurement Standards Laboratory of New Zealand (MSL) is New Zealand's national metrology institute. MSL has primary responsibility to provide measurement standards in accordance with the International System of Units (SI). Explore our map to discover the types of measurements in action every day.
Click on the key to the left and then hover over the icons to explore how different types of measurements are applied to our everyday lives.
Kilogram (kg)
MSL is the caretaker of New Zealand’s primary kilogram. From this mass standard, MSL derives measurement standards for a number of other quantities, such as: pressure, volume, flow, torque, force and density.
Click on the icons to see how mass is applied to our everyday lives.
Metre (m)
MSL maintains New Zealand’s standard for length, the metre, using interferometry and an iodine-stabilised helium-neon laser at 633 nm. This allows MSL to provide traceable measurements across a range of dimensional capabilities, and to measure other quantities, such as roundness and flatness.
Click on the icons to see how length is applied to our everyday lives.
Second (s)
MSL is the caretaker of New Zealand's primary standard for Time, which is generated from atomic clocks.
Click on the icons to see how the second is applied to our everyday lives.
Ampere (A)
MSL maintains New Zealand's primary standards for electrical quantities. This includes ac and dc current and voltage, resistance, capacitance, inductance, power, and energy.
Click on the icons to see how the ampere is applied to our everyday lives.
Kelvin (K)
MSL maintains the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90). From this standard, MSL derives scales for relative humidity and dew point.
Click on the icons to see how temperature is applied to our everyday lives.
Mole (mol)
MSL does not maintain the reference standard for the amount of a chemical substance.
For educational resources about the Mole, visit our sister organisation, NIST https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/si-units-amount-substance
Candela (cd)
MSL maintains New Zealand’s standard for luminous intensity, the candela. From this standard, MSL derives measurement standards for a wide range of other quantities related to light, such as: reflectance, transmittance, illuminance, radiance, spectral responsivity, and optical power.
Click on the icons to see how luminous intensity is applied to our everyday lives.
Electrical safety
Manufactured products require testing to ensure that they are safe to use, and that they provide what the customer expects. This includes electrical testing. A particularly important example is in the manufacture of high voltage cables used to distribute electricity around New Zealand. The cable manufacturer makes a range of precision electrical measurements to ensure their product will operate reliably for many years.
Airport
Communication, navigation and surveillance systems are critical to the effective and safe operation of air traffic control. All of these systems rely on highly synchronized time and well-defined radio frequencies. MSL is responsible for keeping New Zealand’s time and frequency standards, and for disseminating those standards to end-users with low uncertainties.
New Zealand Time
Two pieces of legislation govern New Zealand’s timezone.
The Time Act 1974 defines New Zealand standard time as 12 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The Chatham Islands are 45 minutes ahead of New Zealand standard time.
The Daylight Time Order 2007 defines when the clocks change each year. Daylight saving starts each year on the last Sunday in September, and ends on the first Sunday in April.
The Time Act 1974 defines New Zealand standard time as 12 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The Chatham Islands are 45 minutes ahead of New Zealand standard time.
The Daylight Time Order 2007 defines when the clocks change each year. Daylight saving starts each year on the last Sunday in September, and ends on the first Sunday in April.
Live sports
The Olympic record time for the 100 m race; extra seconds of play in the Rugby World Cup final; lap times in a Formula 1 qualifying session. These and many other moments of sporting achievement all rely on accurate measurements of time. Ensuring the sound, lighting and special effects at stadium events are ‘in sync’ is another area where timing is crucial.
Electric vehicle charging
Electrical vehicles are rapidly growing in popularity here in NZ, prompting the government to invest in a nationwide infrastructure to support their use. MSL is liaising with international partners to ensure best practice is achieved in providing an accurate measurement of the energy output from a vehicle charger. The ac-dc conversion process of EV chargers is known to have an impact on the quality of the current and voltage waveforms observed on the power network. MSL is implementing technology to accurately measure the presence of these signals.
Renewable energy
Electricity is delivered ideally with a single frequency oscillation of 50 Hz for both voltage and current . Renewable sources, such as wind turbines and solar panels, provide electricity oscillating mostly at 50 Hz, but with some additional higher frequencies. These higher frequencies have the potential to upset both the stability of the grid and the accuracy of electricity meters. MSL is building a capability to investigate the effect of the increased use of renewables on the accuracy of meters used for calculating power bills.
Airport
The aviation industry is heavily regulated to ensure safe air travel. Many instruments that ensure the successful take-off and landing of each flight are calibrated by second-tier calibration laboratories with equipment traceable to NZ’s electrical measurement standards.
Calibration lab
MSL sits at the top of New Zealand’s measurement pyramid, maintaining the country’s measurement standards to the highest level of accuracy. We maintain many electrical standards, including voltage, resistance and electrical power. The second-tier labs that sit under MSL on the pyramid send their measurement standards to us for calibration. Next, are industry users who get their standards calibrated by second-tier labs. They use standards to test instruments where the values are relied upon by end-users, e.g., energy meters and voltage meters.
Weather forecasting service
MetService relies on a large array of temperature measurements from monitoring sites distributed throughout New Zealand. These measurements are incorporated into weather models that provide daily weather forecasts. The accuracy of the forecasts is extremely sensitive to the accuracy of the raw measurements. Similar to most industrial temperature measurements, the ‘thermometers’ used in weather forecasting are actually temperature-dependent resistors whose resistance can be converted to a temperature. MSL provides calibration traceability for the resistance standards that MetService can then use to calibrate their thermometers.
Hospital
Many medical treatments involve precise doses of ionising radiation. These are monitored by radiation dosimeters that measure the dose as a tiny electrical current. MSL is able to calibrate the current-measuring capability of these dosimeters to ensure patients receive precisely the correct amount of radiation, as prescribed.
Road safety
NZ Police operate speed cameras and radars to enhance public road safety. The functionality and accuracy of these systems are regularly checked and they are calibrated by the police calibration services team, supported by MSL. Our time standards specialists provide technical solutions, and carry out traceable calibrations of their timing- and frequency-related test equipment.
Data warehouse
Data warehouses provide cloud storage and data transfer, as well as sharing and encryption for a range of organisations around New Zealand. One of their key requirements is a highly-reliable uninterrupted power supply to keep all hardware modules in working order at all times. Dual power sources are another essential piece of infrastructure for data warehouses. Electrical standards guarantee the accuracy and compatibility of those systems.
Petrol station
MSL provided temperature measurement services and advice to New Zealand’s only oil refinery, while it operated. This helped operators to optimise the process of refining petrol before delivery to petrol stations around the country.
National Library
Important historical books and documents, such as the Treaty of Waitangi and The Women's Suffrage Petition, should be kept within well-defined temperature and humidity ranges to protect and preserve them. MSL provides advice on how these conditions can be met.
Museum
National heritage items and precious artefacts at museums such as Te Papa need to be kept within well-defined temperature and humidity ranges to preserve and extend their life. MSL provides advice on how these conditions can be met.
Vineyard
MSL provides advice on remote calibration of temperature and dew-point sensors. This helps, for example, to detect the onset of frost, so that vineyard owners can take action to avoid damage to their grapes.
Manufacturing
Many factories require tight control over the temperature and humidity at which manufacturing processes occur. MSL provides calibrations and advice to support these industries and offers solutions to difficult measurement problems.
Calibration lab
Second-tier calibration laboratories carry out tens of thousands of temperature and humidity calibrations each year, mainly for industry. MSL supports these laboratories by calibrating their reference equipment, by providing advice and training on measurement techniques, and by assessing the technical competence of laboratory staff.
Crown Research Institute
MSL engages in research collaborations with Crown Research Institutes and provides advice on best-practice in temperature and humidity measurements.
Crayfish
Crayfish are yummy, but we need to enjoy them sustainably and make sure they have an opportunity to breed before they’re caught. Minimum size limits are in place, and certified tail width gauges are available from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), so that fishermen can be sure that their catch is legal. Around 200 of these numbered gauges are verified individually by MSL each year, helping to safeguard NZ’s crayfish resource for the future.
Road safety
The Serious Crash Units of the NZ Police use precise electronic surveying instruments to map the scenes at fatal vehicle accidents in order to investigate the contributing causes. The data from these investigations inform enforcement, road design improvements, and education, to reduce the incidence of crashes and to prevent future fatalities. Surveying instruments are regularly verified against the baseline pillar intervals in Evans Bay in Wellington. These are calibrated by MSL and traceable to New Zealand's national measurement standards.
Cowhide
To export cowhide around the world, suppliers must guarantee that the size or area of the hides are measured correctly. MSL advised exporters on their measurement method. We also supplied a calibrated area standard to ensure that the measurement instrument was accurate and maintained traceability.
Observatory
The large telescopes used in observatories need lenses with very specific requirements, and MSL supports their manufacture at several stages. Our specialised, sub-micron-accurate instrumentation measures the surface roughness of the lens, to ensure that the surfaces don’t scatter too much light. A coordinate measuring machine is used during manufacturing to check that the lens shape conforms to the precise design specifications. It is also used to align the lenses in their housings, ready for assembly in large observatory telescopes.
Manufacturing
Many engineering and manufacturing companies rely on measurements from instruments such as micrometers, callipers and dial gauges, to confirm specifications on a daily basis. These are generally calibrated by second-tier calibration laboratories with equipment traceable to NZ’s length measurement standards held at MSL.
Airport
Balancing is crucial for safe and efficient operation of aircraft engines. MSL accurately measures the hole positions of dynamic-balancing rotors, to check that they meet the manufacturer’s specifications. This ensures that the engine's rotating components are balanced during operation, which reduces vibration, and allows safer, efficient and more comfortable air travel.
Calibration lab
MSL maintains the highest level of accuracy for New Zealand’s length measurement standards. We have an iodine-stabilised laser that is compared to other primary standards around the world. This laser is used to calibrate working lasers and reference standards such as gauge blocks for second-tier laboratories, who in turn calibrate measuring instruments such as callipers or graticules for users in industry.
Weighbridge
Weighbridges are found next to the road near ports and on major trucking routes across New Zealand. They are used by police to enforce weight limits on trucks, as overloaded trucks cause excessive wear and tear on the road surface. Weighbridges weigh a truck while it is in motion, as each axle travels over a central weighing platform. MSL calibrates the levelness of the apron before and after the platform, to ensure accurate truck weighing. Confirming that trucks remain within weigh limits contributes towards better road condition for everyone.
Speed measurements
Speed cameras are used on our roads to monitor our driving speed and for NZ police to prosecute those exceeding speed limits. We all need to have confidence in the measurements they make. MSL helps ensure certainty by calibrating the alignment jigs that are used to mount the cameras in the correct position.
Office buildings
To ensure the health and wellbeing of employees in workplaces, temperature and humidity levels should be kept within a comfortable range. MSL supports air conditioning calibration services by providing traceability to national measurement standards.
Observatory
For most of history, time was not standardised. The first Universal Time was introduced by the International Astronomical Union, who used observations of stars crossing the meridian each day to compute the rotation of the Earth. Because of this, observatories were once central to time-keeping.
But since 1967, the second has been based on properties of atoms. From this atomic time comes Coordinated Universal Time, or in French, Temps Universel Coordonné. As a compromise, it was given the acronym, UTC. Atomic time is so regular that 'leap seconds' are needed to keep UTC aligned with solar time. Observatories, particularly those which inform the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), are used to keep track of the difference.
But since 1967, the second has been based on properties of atoms. From this atomic time comes Coordinated Universal Time, or in French, Temps Universel Coordonné. As a compromise, it was given the acronym, UTC. Atomic time is so regular that 'leap seconds' are needed to keep UTC aligned with solar time. Observatories, particularly those which inform the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), are used to keep track of the difference.
Space exploration
Universal Time is a time standard based on Earth's rotation. But because the rotation of the Earth is not perfectly constant, any operations between Earth and space must account for these variations. This applies not just to launching equipment into space, but communicating with it and controlling it. High-accuracy atomic clocks allow us to keep track of time on the ground and in space.
Satellite
Satellite navigation systems, such as GPS, use precise timing in order to help pinpoint locations here on Earth. But GPS satellites are also used for an important process called time transfer. This is one way the reference clocks housed in a global network of National Metrology Institutes are compared with each other to create an international atomic timescale. MSL operates three caesium 5071A atomic clocks, which form the basis of MSL's realisation of NZ time.
Office buildings
Accurate timing not only keeps the computers in offices synchronised, but also underpins the operation of data networks. Atomic clocks are increasingly used for more specialised activities too, including such as high-frequency financial trading (HFT). In Europe as of 2023, HFT represented roughly around 35% of the total equity trading volume.
Timing
Historically, time was not a fixed concept – it varied because 'time' was determined by the location of celestial objects in the sky. For example, when the sun was overhead, that marked local midday. But the development of train and telegraph networks in the late 1800s required time to become consistent across large geographical areas, in order for these networks to operate effectively. This led to the adoption of time zones, where time was fixed relative to a universal time. The first country to establish a time zone was New Zealand, in 1868!
Not many people realise that today, ‘the time’ is, in fact, calculated monthly by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). ‘Real-time’ times, such as those maintained by National Metrology Institutes around the world, are approximations; physical realisations that refer back to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), as recorded by BIPM. MSL provides ‘New Zealand Time’ - or more precisely UTC(MSL) – using a series of atomic clocks.
Not many people realise that today, ‘the time’ is, in fact, calculated monthly by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). ‘Real-time’ times, such as those maintained by National Metrology Institutes around the world, are approximations; physical realisations that refer back to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), as recorded by BIPM. MSL provides ‘New Zealand Time’ - or more precisely UTC(MSL) – using a series of atomic clocks.
Calibration lab
Second-tier calibration laboratories carry out lots of time and frequency calibrations each year, mainly for industry. MSL supports these laboratories by calibrating their reference equipment, by providing advice and training on measurement techniques, and by assessing the technical competence of laboratory staff.
Telecoms
Radio waves, with frequencies from 3 Hz to 3 THz, are widely used in telecommunication technologies. To avoid interference, the generation and transmission of radio waves is strictly regulated. This is enabled by accurate frequency measurements.
Phone networks
Precise time and frequency underpin the operation of mobile phone networks. Measurement of these quantities has become increasingly important as mobile phone networks have evolved, and as multiple operators all attempt to use similar frequencies.
Calibration lab
MSL maintains New Zealand’s measurement standards to the highest level of accuracy. For example, MSL has several high-accuracy 1-kilogram masses.
MSL sits at the top of New Zealand’s measurement pyramid, maintaining the country’s measurement standards to the highest level of accuracy. For mass, that means we are home to NZ’s primary kilogram Underneath MSL is a second-tier of calibration laboratories, who send their measurement standards (including reference masses) to MSL for calibration. The next tier below is industry users – the standards they use to test their instruments are calibrated by second-tier labs.
The traceability of measurements back up the pyramid to MSL is important because important decisions depend on them; e.g., the fairness of a fuel dispenser, or a correct reading from a blood pressure monitor.
MSL sits at the top of New Zealand’s measurement pyramid, maintaining the country’s measurement standards to the highest level of accuracy. For mass, that means we are home to NZ’s primary kilogram Underneath MSL is a second-tier of calibration laboratories, who send their measurement standards (including reference masses) to MSL for calibration. The next tier below is industry users – the standards they use to test their instruments are calibrated by second-tier labs.
The traceability of measurements back up the pyramid to MSL is important because important decisions depend on them; e.g., the fairness of a fuel dispenser, or a correct reading from a blood pressure monitor.
Office buildings
Offices and other workplaces need to be well-lit to create productive and healthy environments for people. Reliable lighting can be assured when lighting designers and installers measure light levels using calibrated light meters traceable to MSL.
Summer sun
Swimsuits, hats, and other outdoor clothing can be designed to protect us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) light. Ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) testing is carried out at MSL to ensure that manufacturers have confidence that their products enable kiwis to enjoy the summer safely.
Sunshine
MSL maintains a network of sensors in urban centres around New Zealand that measure how much ultraviolet (UV) radiation we receive from the sun. This allows scientists and health experts to monitor our exposure, and inform modelling for the future.
When sunshades are put up it is important that they shield people from harmful UV radiation. MSL tests shade-cloth materials to check their effectiveness in protecting people from UV radiation.
When sunshades are put up it is important that they shield people from harmful UV radiation. MSL tests shade-cloth materials to check their effectiveness in protecting people from UV radiation.
Hospital
Light plays many roles in healthcare provision. Equipment used in hospitals needs to be kept clean and sterile in order to prevent infection. One way that hospitals can sterilise their equipment is using ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It is important that hospitals have calibrated UV meters so that they can measure how much UV they are exposing their instruments to.
Computer monitors in hospitals need to be calibrated to ensure operators can view sufficient detail in body scan images, such as from X-rays and MRIs.
Bilirubin lamps are used to treat jaundice in babies. MSL calibrates bilirubin meters to ensure that babies are exposed to a safe and suitable dose of blue light.
Computer monitors in hospitals need to be calibrated to ensure operators can view sufficient detail in body scan images, such as from X-rays and MRIs.
Bilirubin lamps are used to treat jaundice in babies. MSL calibrates bilirubin meters to ensure that babies are exposed to a safe and suitable dose of blue light.
Brewery
To provide customers with confidence that they are receiving the volume of beer stated on a can or bottle, MSL worked with New Zealand’s trade measurement regulator to develop a reliable, low-cost way to determine the volume of packaged beer products. The method does not involve destroying any samples. Instead, it is based on measurements of mass and density which are traceable to MSL’s primary kilogram.
Airport
The aviation industry is heavily regulated to ensure safe air travel. Many of the tools and instruments that ensure the successful take-off and landing of each flight are calibrated and traceable to MSL’s mass standards.
For example: bolts on planes have to be tightened to a specific torque so they remain in place throughout the flight, despite changing air pressure . The amount of fuel pumped into a plane is measured to ensure the plane can reach its destination with fuel to spare. The weight of cargo boxes loaded onto a plane is measured to ensure the load can be balanced, and a plane’s altimeter, which informs the pilots of altitude, is calibrated using pressure measuring devices that are traceable to MSL.
For example: bolts on planes have to be tightened to a specific torque so they remain in place throughout the flight, despite changing air pressure . The amount of fuel pumped into a plane is measured to ensure the plane can reach its destination with fuel to spare. The weight of cargo boxes loaded onto a plane is measured to ensure the load can be balanced, and a plane’s altimeter, which informs the pilots of altitude, is calibrated using pressure measuring devices that are traceable to MSL.
Weather Forecasting Service
Major decisions are based every day on the weather: is it safe to fly or sail? when should I plant or pick crops? Should I go to the outdoor food market or indoor supermarket this weekend? Because of this, providing reliable weather predictions is an important part of MetService’s work. They rely on data from pressure measuring devices called barometers, found at over 200 weather stations across NZ. The MetService barometers are calibrated by MSL to ensure that their base data is accurate.
Homes
Calibrated gas meters are used in houses all around New Zealand to ensure residents receive accurate charges for piped gas. These calibrated meters are checked by accredited second-tier calibration laboratories and are traceable to NZ's measurement standards.
Hospital
Accurate measurements are needed in hospitals and medical centres to ensure the safety and health of patients. Calibrated pipettes and balances for weighing (both medicine and patients) are needed to prepare accurate doses of medication. Calibrated peak flow meters provide a measure of lung function. Calibrated pressure gauges ensure accurate blood pressure measurements, and the safe operation of ventilators.
Stadium
Stadium lighting needs to be carefully designed so that players, spectators, and television audiences can see what is happening on the field and the players are not blinded by the lights. Balancing measurements of glare and illuminance allows conflicting requirements to be met.
Wine packing
New Zealand exports 250 million litres of wine each year. The wine bottling plants that support this industry are required to fill each bottle to a specified volume. New Zealand’s trade measurement regulator completes a statistical sampling exercise to check that the volume of wine in each bottle is, on average, the stated volume. If it were not, the wine company could receive a fine.
Diving
Divers rely on a tank of compressed air to breathe while under the water. The tank is filled with air from a compressor that has a calibrated pressure gauge on it. This pressure gauge is traceable back to primary standards of pressure because it is critically important to the safe operation of the tank. Exceeding the maximum safe working pressure during filling can cause cracks to form in the tank.
Measuring milk
Billions of litres of milk are collected each year by milk trucks with calibrated volume meters that measure the amount of milk. These meters are calibrated by pumping through a known volume of liquid that has previously been weighed. This provides traceability back to MSL’s primary kilogram and gives confidence to our farmers, and the milk collectors, that the trade is fair.
Police Station
The New Zealand Police use portable axle scales to measure the weight of vehicles on New Zealand’s highways . Each axle scale is routinely calibrated using a set of weights traceable to New Zealand’s primary kilogram held by MSL. Removing overloaded vehicles from New Zealand’s highways is important for safety and prolongs the life of the road surface.
Supermarket
There are over 20,000 scales throughout New Zealand used for weighing fresh produce, such as bananas, fish, and nuts. Each scale is calibrated by an accredited technician using a set of weights traceable to New Zealand’s primary kilogram held by MSL. Calibrated scales ensure the buyer receives the amount they pay for.
Mechanics
During a car service, the pressure within a tyre is checked and adjusted using an air compressor that has a pressure measuring device on the hose. These pressure measuring devices are required to be accurate for safety reasons. Tyres that are under- or over-inflated can cause accidents or damage to a car.
Fuel station
20,000 fuel dispensers deliver 6 billion litres of fuel each year in New Zealand. To ensure fair trade for both the fuel station and the consumer, each dispenser is routinely calibrated to make sure it is operating within a regulated tolerance. By filling a vessel of known volume and then weighing it, the amount of fuel dispensed can be made traceable to New Zealand’s primary kilogram held by MSL.
Container Ship
Shipping containers are required by law to be weighed before loading onto a ship. This is a safety requirement to ensure a container ship is balanced and not overloaded. Containers can be weighed by weighbridges that are calibrated by weights traceable to New Zealand’s primary kilogram held by MSL.
Passenger ferry
In an emergency, lighting is designed to turn on to guide people to the emergency exits on ships. The photoluminescence of emergency lighting must be tested to ensure that, in the event of an emergency, the lights turn on, allowing people to get to the emergency exit safely.
Shipping Containers
Whether transported by road, air, or sea, the temperature and humidity in certain shipments, such as perishable foodstuffs, need to be carefully controlled to deliver good quality on arrival. MSL calibrates data-loggers which are shipped with the products to guarantee that the requirements are met.
Supermarket
To prevent bacterial contamination, health and safety regulations require tight control of the temperatures at which certain foods can be stored. MSL provides advice to supermarkets on how to control and measure temperature and humidity in large fridges and freezers, and on how these control measures can be optimised.
Hospital
Clinical thermometers are important medical diagnostic tools. MSL calibrates reference equipment used by hospitals to calibrate their clinical thermometers. MSL also provides advice on how to improve the design and performance of consumables in the health sector, such as those used in ventilators.
Airport
The aviation industry is heavily regulated to ensure the safety of air travel. MSL calibrates temperature and humidity devices for Air New Zealand’s calibration laboratories. These devices are used to test the performance of a wide range of sensors inside aeroplanes as well as to monitor and control the heat-treatment of some aircraft parts.
Shopping
Visual attributes, such as colour, gloss, texture, or sparkle, combine to give a surface its unique appearance. In products like cosmetics or automotive paint, appearance can have a significant impact on consumer choice. MSL is working with international colleagues to develop a common language for the measurement of light scattering. These tools will provide industry with a more reliable way to define and control the properties of a surface.
Orchard
To check that kiwifruit are ready to be harvested, growers can cut open a fruit and measure the colour of its flesh. Instruments that measure colour are routinely checked for accuracy using coloured tiles. The colours of the tiles are calibrated by MSL to ensure that good decisions are made, the kiwifruit is harvested at the right time, and fruit arrives on shelves in the best possible condition.
Cinema
When computer generated creatures and special effects are added into films, the producers want them to look realistic. Doing this requires knowledge of how the surfaces behave in different lighting conditions. MSL makes measurements of reflectance for different surfaces, which are used to make these effects look more realistic.
Banking
Every time transactions are made using internet banking, they are encrypted so that people cannot steal information. In the future, quantum systems will be used for this. MSL is preparing for this future by investigating the detection of single photons.
Weighbridge
Over 1500 weighbridges throughout New Zealand are used to confirm the weights of vehicles that use our roads. New Zealand’s trade measurement regulator ensures that large scales, like weighbridges, are routinely calibrated, with weights traceable to MSL’s mass standards.
In addition, NZ Police use portable axle scales to measure the weight of vehicles on the country’s highways. Each axle scale is routinely calibrated using a set of weights traceable to New Zealand’s primary kilogram held by MSL.
Removing overloaded vehicles from the road is important for safety, and it prolongs the life of the road surface.
In addition, NZ Police use portable axle scales to measure the weight of vehicles on the country’s highways. Each axle scale is routinely calibrated using a set of weights traceable to New Zealand’s primary kilogram held by MSL.
Removing overloaded vehicles from the road is important for safety, and it prolongs the life of the road surface.
Museum
Displays at museums such as Te Papa need to get the lighting just right; enough light so that visitors can see items clearly, but not so much that valuable artefacts are exposed to radiation damage. MSL assists with measurements of both the level of lighting and the identification of harmful blue or ultraviolet components in lighting.
Quality control
Germicidal lamps are used in food production to ensure packaging and containers, such as food cans, are sterilised prior to filling. MSL provides calibration of ultraviolet (UV) meters to measure the dose of UV radiation each container is exposed to.
High-powered and pulsed lighting is used in many devices for quality checking or for product development. These devices can harm operators’ skin or eyes, so MSL carries out checks of photobiological safety to inform best practice in their use.
High-powered and pulsed lighting is used in many devices for quality checking or for product development. These devices can harm operators’ skin or eyes, so MSL carries out checks of photobiological safety to inform best practice in their use.
Farming
Meat inspectors need to be able to quickly and easily identify spoiled products to prevent them from being sold to New Zealanders. This requires adequate lighting, which can be assured using calibrated light meters traceable to MSL.
Observatory
Capturing the light from the most distant galaxies requires specialist telescopes built with incredibly precise optics. It is important that the lenses used in these telescopes have high transmittance to create good images. MSL measures the transmittance of light at specific wavelengths through the final coated lenses.
Airport
The brightness of displays in aircraft cockpits needs to be at the right level for safe operation. MSL calibrates luminance meters so that displays can be monitored and safety can be assured.
The integrity of aircraft parts, such as propeller blades, are monitored using non-destructive testing. Surfaces are covered with fluorescent dye, which shows up microcracks and defects under ultraviolet (UV) lighting. MSL provides calibration of UV meters so that testers can be sure that cracks will be visible.
The integrity of aircraft parts, such as propeller blades, are monitored using non-destructive testing. Surfaces are covered with fluorescent dye, which shows up microcracks and defects under ultraviolet (UV) lighting. MSL provides calibration of UV meters so that testers can be sure that cracks will be visible.
Space exploration
When rockets are launched into space, they are subject to a lot of radiation. Engineers need to know how rocket surfaces will interact with this radiation to be able to design and control components. MSL can make reflectance measurements to inform their modelling.
Fuel station
The integrity of gas and oil transfer pipes is monitored using non-destructive testing. Surfaces are covered with fluorescent dye, which shows up microcracks and defects under ultraviolet (UV) lighting. MSL provides calibration of UV meters so that testers can be sure that these defects will be visible.
Road lighting
When it is dark, streetlights improve safety for pedestrians and vehicles. In order for city councils to demonstrate compliance with relevant documentary standards, MSL provides traceability for measurements of light levels.
At busy intersections, we rely on traffic lights to tell drivers and pedestrians who has the right of way. The traffic lights need to be visible in all lighting and weather conditions and the colours need to be clear. Measurements at MSL are used to ensure traffic lights used in New Zealand meet required standards.
Cats’ eye reflectors are used to mark the edges of road lanes so that drivers can clearly see lane boundaries when driving at night. To confirm if these are sufficiently reflective, they are tested at MSL using our specialist reflectance measurement system. Internally-illuminated road and runway markers are an alternative to reflective cats’ eye markers. MSL has tested these to ensure that the light distribution is of the correct intensity and angular direction.
At busy intersections, we rely on traffic lights to tell drivers and pedestrians who has the right of way. The traffic lights need to be visible in all lighting and weather conditions and the colours need to be clear. Measurements at MSL are used to ensure traffic lights used in New Zealand meet required standards.
Cats’ eye reflectors are used to mark the edges of road lanes so that drivers can clearly see lane boundaries when driving at night. To confirm if these are sufficiently reflective, they are tested at MSL using our specialist reflectance measurement system. Internally-illuminated road and runway markers are an alternative to reflective cats’ eye markers. MSL has tested these to ensure that the light distribution is of the correct intensity and angular direction.