4.09.2010

Toe-Mouse for Foot-Controlled Computing

 
 

Sent to you by Tony via Google Reader:

 
 

via Gadget Lab by Charlie Sorrel on 4/9/10

toe-mouse-for-the-disabled-by-liu-yi

As the world goes crazy for touch-screen tablets and cellphones, the little mouse is getting left behind. But what of those who can't even use Doug Engelbart's most famous invention? What of those who can't use their hands at all?

They could try out the iPad at leg's length, we guess, but that might necessitate an additional pair of binoculars to read the screen. Better is this foot-mouse, a computer controller designed to be operated with the toes. The Toe-Mouse concept comes from designer Liu Yi, and is shaped like the stalk of the strap on a pair of flip-flops. The user inserts this sculpted stalk between the big toe and the second toe, and moves the Toe Mouse around on the floor to control a cursor.

Right and left-clicking are done by pressing switches with those same toes. And if you think controlling a pixel-perfect cursor with your feet will be, well, like having two left feet, then you'd be wrong. The tootsies are surprisingly agile, especially with some practice. As I think I may have mentioned (too many times) before, I used to thrash an old student housemate of mine at Streetfighter II on the Super Nintendo, playing with my feet. Merciless humiliation aside, if I can pull of a Dragon Punch with my toes, surfing the web should be easy.

Flip Flop Mouse [Yanko]


 
 

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