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spherical mouse

 a bit like a trackball, but with all the gubbins inside
  (+3)
(+3) 		  [vote for,
against]

Why can't we have a perfectly spherical mouse (using gyroscope for direction stuff, and dynamo thing for power), a pressure sensitive outer layer would allow detection of a user 'click'.

so really, a bit like a track ball, but with no tail and all the mechanical stuff on the inside

P.S. cedar park - not round, Spherical

// after anos I think the drag/drop effect could be happily acheived by applying a slight, constant pressure to the sphere as it's moved

—neilp, May 27 2003

mouse power solved http://www.halfbake...f_20Powered_20Mouse
power shouldm't be a problem [neilp, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

(?) SpaceOrb http://www.3dgw.com...aceorb/spaceorb.htm
You mean like this? [Piquan, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

Sleeper http://www.homevide...oscomedy/sleep.jpeg
[thumbwax, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

Puyocon http://www.engadget...rown-gyrated-video/
It took them seven years to find my HB entry, but they've built one now. [neilp, Jan 25 2010]

[link]






       Interesting. I'm not sure it's possible to have a pressure sensitive click and a perfectly smooth outer shell. Maybe if you just pick up the sharp vibrations inside?
—DrCurry, May 27 2003
   

       tails for *all*
—po, May 27 2003
   

       [DC] Sure, just make it out of a flexible material - like rubber. A few strain gage stickers on the inside surface should do the trick. The only problem I can see is how to change the batteries.
—Worldgineer, May 27 2003
   

       No batteries, harness the power of a swimming goldfish inside.
—k_sra, May 27 2003
   

       Alas, when you got up to use the restroom your ball rolled off the desk and accidentally erased your entire morning's work.   

       Some things just weren't meant to be.
—phoenix, May 27 2003
   

       you could have just said "balls" <g>
—po, May 27 2003
   

       Note: Do not follow [Piquan]'s link if you have a Java-enabled browser. The "SpaceOrb" home page will attempt to set itself as your homepage. There is no corporate site.   

       I think the link should be deleted.
—phoenix, May 27 2003
   

       Oops, I hope I don't have Java enabled browser.
<note to self>: Read all annos before scoping links.		   

       Apple sold a round mouse. It's the worst idea they ever had. With this design, you never knew what direction was 'up', you either had to look at the mouse, or feel for the button or tail. It wasn't too long before it was replaced with their current optical mouse.   

       Note: 'worst idea ever' comment doesn't include the Lisa or Apple IIc LCD display.
—Cedar Park, May 28 2003
   

       I had to do QA work on a Mac, and I wanted to kill the idiot that designed that glazed donut mouse (and the matching glazed keyboard that was made for the hands of a 6-yr old girl). I don't think Mac's were designed to actually be used, just to look cool.

Anyhoo, that six-dimensional space orb [in link] has me confuzzled (if a joystick is fine for Stephen Hawking, it's fine for me!)
—latka, May 28 2003
   

       I'd like to have a go on one of these. It's the kind of thing where you don't know if it's a good idea or not until you actually give them a go, which is probably why no one's had the courage to develop one yet.   

       To solve the problem of it rolling away, perhaps it could have a little docking bay to rest in?   

       The thing is, while they might be accurate for short distance mousework, I'm sure they'd be awful for long distance movements and they'd probably knacker your arm in too! Nethertheless, I still think it's a very cool idea and I'd love to try one out.
—adr, May 28 2003
   

       [adr] // To solve the problem of it rolling away, perhaps it could have a little docking bay to rest in? //

Reminds of those little office putting greens, with the spring loaded ball return. This would make an interesting variation on video golf.
—latka, May 28 2003
   

       How would you click and drag? Seems like by holding your finger down to "click" would make it impossible to move the sphere....
—TimD, May 28 2003
   

       On top of Old Smokey
all covered with cheese,
I lost my poor mouseball
when somebody sneezed.
—nihilo, Jun 01 2006
   

       [nihilo], that's lovely, my own poem.   

       [BJS] a trackball is, basically, an upside down mouse, you move the ball directly, and the mouse stays where it is. and.. err. yeah, this would be wireless.
—neilp, Jun 02 2006
   

       [Like Cedar Park mentioned] How would you know (or the mouse know) which direction is up, down, left, or right? If you rotated the mouse (with a vertical axis), then the movement would be in a different direction when you roll it.   

       Maybe the gyroscopes would eliminate this problem somehow? But if it has gyroscopes, then wouldn't they require more power to spin them, which the dynamo would not be able to produce?
—BJS, Jun 02 2006
   
      
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