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This occurred to me while dragging a computer mouse around on a grit covered surface in my workshop.
I could really use a mouse that would float over a surface. Even a surface covered with carborundum and steel particles from a recent metal working project. I considered mag-lev: bad news with iron
particles in the vicinity. I briefly considered an air cushion type mouse pad (a la Air Hockey) and decided that wouldn't do. I didn't like the all terrain mouse previously halfbaked because I want to more or less keep the normal mouse form factor. Then it hit me: use hovercraft technology. Add a skirt to the bottom of the mouse and supply a high volume of air (supply your own mental image here).
It just wouldn't be practical to put a high powered fan inside the mouse so it seems that this configuration will also require the design of a "turbine card" to be installed in my pc to feed the necessary high volume of air (and vacuum) via flexible tubes to the mouse.
Being basically a lazy slob, I figure this mouse will be a labor saver in that it will clear my work surface of dust and grit while in normal use.
The addition of a channel around the perimeter of the mouse and an additional tube to supply vacuum, enables this baby to really clean up the croissant crumbs.
(I thought about entitling this idea "Der Floater Mouse" but figured I'd probably used up my quota of quasi-German/Austrian language with "Whackentunen")
Original title "Hover Mouse" thanks for the assist, [UnaBubba].
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Annotation:
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Idea modified to include what UB said. A hover mouse becomes a Hoover mouse. |
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How about we make it like one of those automatic pool cleaning devices? When your screen saver comes on the VacuuMouse goes to work cleaning your keyboard and moving your papers around so that it looks like you've been working. |
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I stole that "moving papers" bit. The original idea seems to have been deleted. "Auto blower" or something like that. |
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I like this idea - not because my desk is covered with finely grained detritus - but for the *days* of enertainment I could derive from avoiding work, pinging it about my desk. (simple things and all that)
Also, auf Deutsch "Die Fliegenmaus". |
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I would have voted for "Der Floater Mouse" for the title alone. |
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This sounds noisy and difficult to use. And how does it work? If it's hovering, there's no surface for an optical sensor to track, or to spin a ball. |
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Why not mount it on a little articulated arm that allows you to move it left, right, back and forwards, whilst holding it in position when you're not touching it? You'd only need to clamp it to the edge of a desk. I think similar systems have been used as experimental controllers for CAD and VR systems. |
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[waugs] - I was thinking optical. VacuuMouse would float on a cushion of air. Maintaining the cushion of air would be dependent on a surface being within a limited distance from the base of the mouse so there would be something for the optical sensor to track. Of course, having said that, I think I just blew away my keyboard cleaning afterthought. |
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[pottedstu] brings up a good point that I chose not to address originally: how to keep this thing from floating around and falling off the desk when you aren't using it. Maybe it has a proximity detector that turns on the air only when your hand is close to the mouse ? |
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No-one has yet mentioned another possible benefit: Increased air circulation within the PC could be used for cooling purposes. |
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Wouldn't you have to have some sort of dock for when you were away from the pc? Otherwise you'd keep coming back to find the mouse on the floor. Perhaps the air would only blow through the skirt for lift when it senses your hand above it? |
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I don't get it. Either it sucks, in which case it'll get the crumbs, but will be difficult to move; or it blows, in which case what's with all the vacuum terminology? |
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I think it does both...from Unabubba's first annotation there shall be a source of over-pressure (a pipe to blow air and create a 'cushion' ) in the centre and a vacuum pipe at the front to suck up dirt. |
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