Wednesday, January 30th, 2008...8:32 pm - Catherine Gleeson
The Plasticine revolution: Moldable Mice
Here’s a true example of user-centric design. I want one! Despite the fact that I’ll end up spending more time making silly shapes than doing actual work – this is an exciting (and serious) breakthrough in computer ergonomics. In the intervening period between now and the time when we’ll no longer be reliant on peripherals and be able to sculpt anything we like on our computer screens, this is brilliant. (In fact it’s just excellent – fullstop). Fancy designing a device which works with the user, rather than against?
This design makes me reflect, and not for the first time, how readily we accept some ideas as reasonably fixed even when they are relative newcomers to our history. The mouse has been around for about 40 years – a blip on the radar of human history – and in that time there haven’t been any radical changes to its essential design. The only significant development has been the creation of a hard plastic ergonomic mouse which, nonetheless forces the hand to conform to a fixed shape. If you take the “molded” concept one step further by literally putting it into the hands of the user – you have the Moldable Mouse. (Needless to say – I didn’t think of that – but dang – I wish I had).
These new mice developed by an in-house team from Lite-On Technology, are made of lightweight modelling clay covered with a nylon and polyurethane fabric which allows the user to endlessly re-create, re-invent and re-configure shape and ergonomics. According to the team, the mouse controls can be taken off and re-positioned anywhere on the surface of the mouse because “the click buttons and touch-sensitive scroll pad of the mouse are stick-on parts with built-in RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device)”.
Apart from anything else, it’s a great example of good design being integral to function – representing a lot more than mere icing on the cake…
Via: RedDot Design Award
1 Comment
January 31st, 2008 at 8:09 pm
this ling looks just like the game console controller they thought up in the futuristic VR game movie Existenz.. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAdbdUt_h9M)
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