No doubt we've seen some snazzy takes on
mousing instruments, but when Popular Science dubs your twist on the critter we couldn't do without an Invention of the Year, you've accomplished something. A team of WPI undergraduate students were able to win such an honor by crafting the MagicMouse, a "three-dimensional computer mouse" that allows users to "control and manipulate items on a computer screen just by pointing at the monitor." While we've seen similar ideas for
helping disabled individuals interface with a computer, this wee iteration actually fits around one's finger and "uses an array of receivers to track the motion of a tiny ultrasonic transmitter." The cursor is moved by waving one's hand back and forth, while moving closer and backing away enables
zooming functions to be utilized, which should make handling those CAD drawings a good bit easier. Perhaps most notable, however, is the relatively low cost of assembly, as the entire contraption (rechargeable Li-ion and all) cost just $155, and we're sure you know how far that could fall if a bulk buying manufacturer brought it to commercialization. A few more pictures after the jump.
[Via
Popular Science and
Gizmag]
posted May 21st 2007 11:37PM
is the hand model robin williams?
No, it is clearly pre-burn George Costanza.
This could be the future of mousing...brilliant.
www.bandwagn.com
Holy shit...my friend is a part of this team...congrats Mike! You earned it!
My only conerns would be precision and accidently hurting someone when trying to zoom, we all know the so called accidents caused by those dangerous Wii remotes!
Is this based on the original RingMouse of over a decade ago?
http://www.byte.com/art/9602/sec17/art6.htm
Just a note
if you change this sentence from:
"but when Popular Science dubs your twist on the critter we couldn't do without an Invention of the Year, you've accomplished something"
to:
"but when Popular Science dubs your twist on the critter-we-couldn't-do-without an Invention of the Year, you've"
it makes it much easier to read and more gramatically correct. I honestly had trouble with it the several times I read it.
I wonder what happens when you start typing at the keyboard. Will the mouse start jumping up and down on every keypress?
How do you click?
You make a clicking motion with your finger. It works on all 3 axes.
Hm looks nearly nice ;-) ^^
I had a similar concept about 3 years ago, mine worked with an infrared led on a ring and 4 infrared enabled cams integrated into a keyboard. I think its much easyer with the visual solution, than the audio one, because it's simple triangulation not affected by enviromental jammers. The price would be about the same, because those cams got realy cheap (see the one in the wiimote). This giant 5 sensor array is Way to big I think (one reason I integrated it into the keyboard) and why the hell does it have to stand next to the display *cries* I developed mine as a way to turn a simple lcd into a touchscreen, and I think that increases usefulnes by 200%.
Have a nice day, JP
wow, i like the fact that the li-polymer battery *is* the ring.
"Use the schwartz, Lone Star."
Hmm, not too keen on the whole using the battery as a ring thing. One defect and your minus a finger :/
My comment is that as a complete and total internet addicted, I tend to be very lazy.
As such I don't think I would enjoy having to hold my arm off the ground for extended periods of time (I am thinking 3+ hours here)
Still, this is a pretty interesting idea.
I love the implementation and the thought process... much more convenient than the Nintendo Power Glove.. plus the third dimension- mension- sion- on- n... (that was echoing...)
looks like testing earlier prototypes left him with a nasty scar on his index finger
Nahhh he got hit by a car.
No, seriously :-p He's OK though.
Agreed, this is a cool nerd toy that might play well with powerpoint presentations, etc, but as an everyday mouse, no thanks. It's bad enough that some Wii games want me to hold my arm out for tens of minutes or even hours; I'm not about to read web pages while doing "iron cross" poses...
NaturalPoint offers a much better product called Smartnav that has a great degree of accuracy and lets you customize the software like crazy. I'd rather go the route of something that is proven and is more widely accessible. That's just me though.
Wow! I'm attending WPI in the fall.
Nice. Maybe something I do will end up on Engadget.
I can see potential with the disabled. Use this together with the www.frogpad.com and I could be two handed again! sweet... Nice work! Let me know when it's up for sale.