Slashdot Mirror
Help For Those With Shaky Hands
maotx writes "IBM has developed an adjustible mouse adapter that compensates for the shakes of patients with hand tumors and other causes of uncontrollable shaking. According to the International Essential Tremor Foundation, in the US alone nearly 10 million people are affected by essential tremor, the most common form of hand tremors. This adapter will plug in between the mouse and computer and is compatible with existing mice. No word on which port is supported (ps/2, usb, etc). More info here, here, and here. It is expected that IBM will sell the adapter for under $100 USD."
Not sure why I bother submitting corrections anymore to articles in "The mysterious future", but TFA is clearly talking about hand tremor, not "hand tumors".
Here's a photo of the device, and some more info. The price is $99 USD.
The mouse controller is being marketed by Montrose Secam Limited. It is available only for PS/2 mice at the moment, although a USB version is in the works.
A software version of the device is available at IBM Alphaworks
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
- Evelyn Beatrice Hall
My father's hands shake some due to essential tremors, and he uses a trackball to overcome this. With a trackball he can position the cursor where he wants and then take his thumb off the ball while he clicks so he's sure to click the right spot. His hands aren't that bad though, so I'm not sure how this would work for someone with really shaky hands.
Because from the looks of it, this device is OS inpedendent. You could use it for anything that accepts a mouse input - even devices that use propietary OS (XBox can use a mouse, can't it?), and plus: you can take hardware with you. What if your friend doesn't have that driver installed?
Education: Definition, term "Benign Essential Tremors": "Benign", not caused from malignancy/tumor/progressive disease; "essential", necessary or common - everyone's hands shake to some degree, it's just some (to) a lot more noticeable in some of us; "Tremors", shaking or vibratory motions.
There are many of us who are not geriatric, alcoholic, diabetic, epileptic, or otherwise impaired who will welcome this device as an alternative to keeping mouse sensitivity at minimum.
(Oh, and yes, I *do* suck at FPS games, and I *do* find it frustrating, as it's one of the ways I spend quality time (time *they* enjoy) with my sons)
Take the 90-Day Challenge! http://rwmurker.bodybyvi.com/
I've had it since about age 20. It was the cause of my drop-out from art school.
You might say that I now use computers BECAUSE of my tremors. It's about the only interface with the world that I have where I have enough control to be productive.
Although, if you have an occasional accidental window closure, I'd say yours are worse than mine. Yeah, it is rather embarrassing, when people notice, they think I'm on drugs or something. I don't think that this IBM gadget will help me, though I think it would be cook to apply the same technique to something like a drawing tablet. I think that would even allow me to get back into art. I used to love to draw, before the tremors. But after I noticed their onset, drawing became a frustrating, aggravating, and painful experience. Ironically, I look at Charles M Schultz's work over the years, and you can see that in the 1980's, he developed some quite severe tremors, but he still had enough control to make it work. Even in his pen-and-ink medium (about the least-forgiving when it comes to tremors). But he was a truly talented artist.
These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.