Ruggedized scientific calculator perfect for extreme math

Casio's fx-FD10 Pro ruggedized calculator can stand up to shocks, splashes and dust. It's aimed at civil engineers amid a construction boom in Asian countries.

It laughs at splashes, dust and shocks. It eats military-spec drop tests for breakfast. It's ideal for math in the great outdoors.

Meet Casio's new ruggedized scientific calculator, the fx-FD10 Pro.

Mainly aimed at land surveyors, the device has 21 programs for civil engineering purposes such as curve calculations for plotting road construction.

The 250-gram FD-10 Pro is housed in an elastomer-coated case so it won't slip out of a user's hands, even when wet.

It's got a backlit LCD screen for working in low light, an SD card slot for importing data from surveying equipment and a USB port to link with PCs. A series of side keys allow users to operate it with one hand.

It meets U.S. military standard 810G for shocks, and can be dropped from a height of 1.22 meters without damage, according to Casio.

"We don't know of any leading calculator manufacturer who sells a rugged scientific calculator," a Casio spokeswoman said. "It's the first Casio scientific calculator to have all three features of being shock resistant, splash-proof and dust-proof."

The model is being launched to meet anticipated demand for construction related to the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020. The Japanese capital has been considering everything from a futuristic 80,000-seat stadium to a gondola lift as part of its makeover for the games.

Growing infrastructure demand in developing economies was another factor behind the launch, the spokeswoman added.

The FD-10 Pro will go on sale on April 25 in Japan, and is expected to sell for around ¥24,000 (US$235).

The calculator is also to be marketed in many ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, but launch dates will differ.

Casio is considering selling the FD-10 Pro worldwide as well, the spokeswoman said.