Elecom's Scope Node precision mouse - it's precise, but only in Japan
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted March 17th 2009 11:04AM
posted March 17th 2009 11:04AM
Usually, when a company attempts to change up the mouse it's a purely cosmetic affair. But as any ergonomist will tell you, the fundamental design of the device leaves a lot to be desired. Unlike Cyber Sport's recent outing, Elecom's Scope Node retains the same basic "mousetastic" shape, but it places the laser sensor off to the left -- where it would be if you were holding a pen. The company promises greater accuracy, though until the thing ends up on these shores we'll have to take their word for it. Available in Japan for ¥6,300 (that's about $64, Americanos).
[Via Oh Gizmo!]
[Via Oh Gizmo!]
I've got to admit, that mouse is pretty cool looking...
Agreed, I think this is the best looking mouse I've ever seen.
It's a awesome mouse but putting in a Class 2 laser is dangerous for any keys who want to stare right into the mouse. Not a good choice.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_safety
Why does it feel like an advert for death note?
- The human whose name is clicked on with this mouse shall die.
- This click will not take effect unless the writer has the person's Facebook page in their mind when clicking his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected, but people with similar blog page will be affected.
- If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of carpal tunnel syndrome.
- After clicking the cause of death, details of the death should be scrolled and highlighted in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
*orders one*
Epic!
Photoshopped =D
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/6933/deathmousepilot.jpg
@Kenimori,
Sugoi desu ne!
lulz
Useful...when fingerpainting!
It looks like something out of Dyson.
Why can't there be a mouse that looks like that pen? It could use the same laser tech and be a little thicker for the buttons. It would be a tablet, without the tablet.
hhaha yea like i have 2 right hands to use !
Ummm, gimmick? When you move any mouse, the entire mouse moves at the same time. It doesn't matter if the sensor is on the left, right, front, back, or wherever the Angry Video Game Nerd ended up right before he crashed in Top Gun. The result is going to be the identical.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofM11nPzFo0
When you are doing short wrist movements from side to side, the mouse is also turning around itself. What you are saying only holds true if the mouse is always pointing in exactly the same direction. Pretty much any natural mouse movement has a slight twisting motion so yeah, you are totally wrong.
I still fail to see the real difference this would make. It doesn't in any way eliminate the slight twisting motion you describe, it simply changes it. That twisting motion is going to be there in some degree regardless if you're twisting the mouse at all as you move it, because the mouse is a solid object. If you twist a square which has been divided into four quadrants, all the quadrants still twist, even if they're (in this parallel) further from the axis(?).
What's more, the motion of a mouse is fundamentally different from the motion of handwriting. I don't grasp the mouse between my thumb and first two fingers; the majority of the motion comes from my thumb, pinky, and ring finger as well as my wrist. I fail to see how this is "ergonomic" - it just means that my motions will be off-kilter slightly, so I'll have to adjust with different wrist movements. It doesn't change the axis of my arm in relation to the mouse and, as a result, does nothing to impact my standard mouse-holding position. I call gimmick.
Aside from having the cool red dot sight to make me feel like I'm sniping my office suite, I'm not really sure I get the point. Does it really matter where the precision is taking place?
Demo please!
Like almost all left-handed people, I write with my left hand but use the mouse with my right hand. This pen metaphor is totally useless to me.
Yep, I'm in the same boat. Meh...
damn the right handed man, keeping us down.
I agree brothers, I would cut his mouse cord, but I've only got these right-handed scissors and I can't get them to work properly - DAMN YOU WORLD!!!!
Agreed. Unimpressed with mice in general for about 15 years now. Remember when Logitech actually made left-handed mice?
I've got an old Logitech Marble Mouse trackball at home. Cheap at $35, reliable, and perfectly symmetrical. Get tired with one hand? Move it to the other side and switch the buttons. Unfortunately, they don't make it anymore. Why? My guess is it was too cheap to be profitable, and lasted too long to support repeat sales.
SCNR: Like almost all left handed people and some right handers I know, I use the mouse with my left hand (and do not switch left & right buttons). This leaves my right hand free for typing on the keypad or cursor keys.
Really, I don't know of any left handers that would use the mouse with their right hand primarily.
But still, I don't see the advantage of this design.
Greetings, SuAlfons
its only precise in Japan?
Yea, it's also considered 'large' in Japan too.
It's clumsy in Brazil.
Yes it does matter where the sensor is. Some people tend to move the mouse from from a single pivot...be it the shoulder, elbow or wrist. This means that your hand can have an arcing motion, especially moving from the wrist...causing a bit of rotation of the mouse. Some people are sensitive to this, especially gamers or people who need to operate the mouse very fast or with high accuracy.
The design reminds me of the mouse created by Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell creator) for the same company as this mouse (Elecom)
http://www.motorballer.org/shirow/mice.html
Thank you! I was having trouble finding the link.
LAME!
"Innovation" like this is a waste. What's next, a companion keyboard with keys in a more "optimal" arrangement?
Yeah, it's called Dvorak.
Japan Design... Made in China!
lol
Haha I was looking for some one commenting on that... My thoughts exactly!
Ah, Elcom's been taking notes from Apple.
i have a feeling i'd be accidently hitting the right button even more than i do now... which is quite a bit
Hardcore
this is kind of cool, but really doesn't change much in the mousing department... i figure it's only a matter of time before "scientists" invent a brain wave controlled mouse... i'm gonna save my money for that day
Duh, this is such an obvious idea I really wonder why nobody's thought of it before. Of course it's going to be a lot more precise than when the sensor is somewhere in the middle. It's going to be a lot easier and a lot more natural.
Do want.
I can never "palm" the whole mouse. I'm too used to holding my mouse "claw style." In addition, where are the thumb buttons? Precision shouldn't take away from functionality...
If it is only for the Japanese market why is almost everything on it written in English?
will this give me greater control over headshots?
huh.
"But as any ergonomist will tell you, the fundamental design of the device leaves a lot to be desired."
Any "ergonomist" that will tell you that is a complete idiot. In fact, one has to wonder if you made that up.
Design-wise, it's been basically unchanged since its inception, and that's because it is a fact that it is the best control device, unsurpassed by any other, despite countless attempts. The mouse is surely here to stay, in this form.
not bad at all !… but………………
damn, still not what i'm looking for : a sided-wheel mouse (i thought first that the wheel was on the left, but it's only the laser holder).
:-/
My Microsoft mouse also has its laser off center, to the left.