Bored of PC mouse? Upgrade to Mouse 2.0
By siliconindia   |   Tuesday, 06 October 2009, 21:58 IST   |    9 Comments
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Bored of PC mouse? Upgrade to Mouse 2.0
Bangalore: Microsoft has unveiled five prototypes for "Mouse 2.0," which will be based on touch and gesture instead of the current move and point method. The Microsoft developers of this innovative mouse have posted the research paper on the website along with a video. The developers have mentioned on the website, "Our goal is to enrich traditional pointer-based desktop interactions with touch and gestures. To chart the design space, we present five different multi-touch mouse implementations. Each explores a different touch sensing strategy, which leads to differing form-factors and hence interactive possibilities. In addition to the detailed description of hardware and software implementations of our prototypes, we discuss the relative strengths, limitations and affordances of these novel input devices as informed by the results of a preliminary user study." The first mouse highlighted was the FTIR (Frustrated Total Internal Reflection), a curved multi-touch design. Microsoft explains: "(The mouse) applies the principle of Frustrated Total Internal Reflection to illuminate a user's fingers, and uses a camera to track multiple points of touch on its curved translucent surface." The second mouse is called the Orb mouse and is made for gamers. The demo in the video showcased the way it interacts with a first-person shooter. Says Microsoft: "Equipped with an internal camera and a source of diffused infrared illumination, it can track the user's hand across the [entirety] of its hemispherical surface." The third prototype, Cap mouse is designed for augmenting graphical user interface (GUI) features. "[The mouse] uses a matrix of capacitive touch-sensing electrodes to track the position of the user's fingertips along its surface." The fourth mouse requires minimum contact with user's hand. Named the Side mouse, the mouse uses SideSight technology to detect finger and hand movements around the device. The last prototype, Arty mouse, is aimed at 3D manipulation. "[The mouse is] equipped with three optical mouse sensors to track the individual movements of the wrist, thumb, and index finger," says Microsoft.

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