130+ Tool Types Across 11 Categories
One of the most common questions about AR Toolbox is "what tools can it actually recognize?" The answer is over 130 distinct tool types organized into 11 categories that span the major trade disciplines. This is not a narrow proof of concept limited to a handful of common items. The detection model has been trained on a comprehensive range of tools that technicians, contractors, and tradespeople encounter daily. In this post, we will walk through every category, highlight representative tool types in each, and explain how this classification system benefits your workflow.
The 11 Categories
Hand Tools form the largest category and include the items found in virtually every toolbox. This covers claw hammers, ball-peen hammers, flathead and Phillips screwdrivers, adjustable wrenches, combination wrenches, hex key sets, pliers of various types including needle-nose, slip-joint, and locking pliers, as well as chisels, pry bars, utility knives, and hand files. The model distinguishes between subtypes, so a Phillips screwdriver and a flathead screwdriver are classified separately.
Power Tools include cordless drills, impact drivers, circular saws, reciprocating saws, jigsaws, angle grinders, orbital sanders, heat guns, and rotary tools. The model recognizes these tools whether they have a battery attached or not, which is important because power tools in a toolbox are often stored without their battery packs.
Measurement and Layout covers tape measures, levels of various sizes, speed squares, combination squares, framing squares, laser distance meters, calipers, micrometers, stud finders, and marking tools like chalk lines and carpenter pencils. These tools are often small and visually similar, but the model uses shape and proportion cues to distinguish between them.
Electrical Tools include wire strippers, wire crimpers, voltage testers, digital multimeters, circuit tracers, fish tapes, conduit benders, lineman pliers, and insulated screwdriver sets. This category is particularly important for electricians who need to verify their kit before working on live or potentially live circuits.
Plumbing Tools covers pipe wrenches, basin wrenches, tubing cutters, pipe cutters, flaring tools, soldering torches, Teflon tape, plungers, drain snakes, and PEX crimping tools. The visual diversity in this category is high, ranging from small hand-held cutters to large pipe wrenches, which the model handles through scale-aware training data.
HVAC Tools include manifold gauge sets, refrigerant recovery machines, vacuum pumps, fin combs, thermometers, anemometers, manometers, and swaging tools. These specialized tools are less commonly found in general toolboxes, and their inclusion in the model reflects the app's design for trade professionals, not just hobbyists.
The category system is more than a labeling convenience. It structures your entire inventory into meaningful groups, powers the color-coded AR overlays, and enables category-based filtering that makes finding tools in a large inventory fast and intuitive.
Additional Categories and Why They Matter
Fasteners and Hardware includes items like clamps of various types (C-clamps, bar clamps, spring clamps), vises, anchors, and rivet tools. While these are not tools in the traditional sense, they are essential workshop and job site items that benefit from inventory tracking.
Safety Equipment covers safety glasses, hard hats, ear protection, work gloves, face shields, and respirators. Tracking safety gear alongside tools ensures that compliance items are accounted for when loading out for a job, which is increasingly important for companies with formal safety programs.
Cutting Tools includes hacksaws, tin snips, aviation snips, bolt cutters, glass cutters, and specialty blades. These tools are grouped separately from hand tools because they serve a distinct functional purpose and are often stored and managed together in the field.
Automotive Tools covers socket sets, ratchets, torque wrenches, spark plug sockets, oil filter wrenches, brake tools, and OBD diagnostic scanners. While there is some overlap with hand tools, the automotive category captures trade-specific items that mechanics and fleet technicians need to track separately.
General Accessories is a flexible category for items that support tool use but do not fit neatly into other categories. This includes tool belts, extension cords, work lights, magnetic trays, parts organizers, and tool rolls. These items round out the inventory picture by capturing the accessories that are easy to lose and annoying to replace.
Each of these 11 categories contributes to a coherent classification system that the app uses throughout the experience. When you see a color-coded overlay on the scan screen, it maps to a category. When you filter your inventory, you filter by category. When reports break down your tool assets, they group by category. This consistent taxonomy means that whether you have 20 tools or 2,000, the organizational structure scales cleanly.
What's Next
Understanding the categories and tool types gives you a clear picture of what AR Toolbox can detect. In the next post, we will walk through the full scan workflow step by step, from aiming the camera to reviewing results to saving items in bulk, so you can see exactly how the detection and categorization come together in practice.