Fluffy Soap mouse works without a desk
By Conrad Quilty-Harper 
posted August 25th 2006 10:55AM
posted August 25th 2006 10:55AM
Can you imagine controlling your computer with a peripheral that resembles a fluffy bar of soap? Well hear us out, because the Soap pointing device from Microsoft Research offers to combine the accuracy of a traditional optical mouse with the freedom of a wireless, even desk-free peripheral. The device, which consists of a soft, fluffy hull coating a wireless optical mouse core, reads the fabric's movement when the user applies outside pressure, and reports it as a position (think: rolling a bar of soap around in your hand). Through a demonstration in combination with a mobile keyboard in Unreal Tournament (albeit with dumb bots), the creators have shown that Soap offers a degree of accuracy that comes close to a table-bound mouse; when the user squeezes, the Soap can even outclass desktop mouse performance in large wall display setups. If users can cope with the idea of blasting away fiends in UT with a ball of fluff and Soap gets a commercial release, if nothing else you can be sure that an entire cottage industry will spring up around supplying fake eyes and tails to turn the Soap into a line-up of cute, pointable rodentia.[Via hackaday]
thats awesome. I want one now.
Can you imagine how dirty it would get? *shudders*
I guess that would open up a market for replaceable "skins" that users can spend their much needed money on.
How is this any different than just putting a regular optical mouse in a big sock?
These things just better lay off my Quatrotriticale.
And my sandwich and coffee!
Leif, that's the whole point. Watch the video. Again. They tell you how to make one.
Did anyone watch the entire video? It shows you how you can make your own right now.
So simple, but ingenious!
I hope to see something similar in store. The only drawback is the mouse seems to have only 1 button, and no functionnal mouse-wheel (the mouse wheel act as the only clickable button).
But that's a very good beginning. Finally a mouse which do not require a desk. I loved the way it can be used in Windows Media Center, very precise and efficient.
Looks like Tribble Trouble!
Didn't you just run a report about how MS was working on a new FPS controller for 360?
So they envision using this to control media players? Even while it's in your pocket? Just what I wanted.. to hang out with friends and get accused of playing a constant game of pocket pool...
It is an intruiging design though.. I may have to look into making one just to see how it works...
"Can you imagine how dirty it would get? *shudders*"
It's soap, it's self-cleaning. :)
now if only you can stick a wii remote in the soap it would be awsomemo!!!!!!
(KINDDING)
it is a fake. watch it again. the guy switched device with some fur ball. look closely.
and did the video show the receiving device and the code that handles the motion? nope.
so fake.
What happens if you drop the Soap?
But is the soap SOAP-enabled?
Wow Vista is delayed because they have been busy putting mice in socks :-p
THIS.is just friggen amazing. im actually leaving in about two minutes just to go pick up the supplies needed to build this. no really. ill report back later about how it went!
>>receiving device and the code that handles the motion?
Did you actually watch the whole video? It's just an ordinary notebook wireless mouse that's been hacked in a certain way.
It's not fake, they just didn't want to waste time showing you how to put the device in the sock.
anyone who wasn't closing their eyes saw the switch you find suspect. didn't look very tricky to me.
haven't you ever watched a cooking show? those are all totally fake. you dont even get to watch the water slowly coming to a boil!
This thing would aggrevate me so much. When you "click", the cursor moves just by nature of the design, I couldn't stand that.
i think its a little like the rocket mouse. i love the rocket mouse but they are hard to find
>haven't you ever watched a cooking show? those are all totally fake. you dont even get to watch the water slowly coming to a boil!<
Dear god are they....I never knew, so thats why my food always looks the same