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3D Mouse

FTL writes "Turn an ordinary wheel mouse into a 3D pointing device. All one needs is some string, some hot melt glue, and a lot of math. 3D mice have been floating around for a while, what will it take to get people to use them?"

2 of 203 comments (clear)

  1. A different solution... by Oscaro · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...can be built with two analog joysticks. See here

  2. Useability; A mouse is the wrong shape by 91degrees · · Score: 5, Informative

    I was working as part of a research project for 3D (as well as 4D, 5D and 6D) designs for better comuter input devices. What we found was that a mouse is the wrong design.

    Firstly, It quite simply doesn't make sense. Mice don't fly unless you throw them. This cognitive dissonance causes users considerable problems. We solved this quire easily by replacing the "mouse" with a "bat".

    Secondly, it creates arm ache. Holding the bat up for several hours just isn't possible. This was solved by the simple and rather crude device of a counterweighted piece of string on a pully on the ceiling. Of course, this isn't goinf to be suitable for a home user. I suggest we'll probably need some sort of rotor assembly to avoid the tangle of strings and wires.

    It appears that no other researchers have even looked into our research, preferring to reinvent the wheel at every step.