The Cloud Mouse
If you come out with a new product should it always contain the word Cloud?
Microsoft have described a technology called the “Cloud Mouse” at their recent TechFest 2010, demonstrating a novel hardware and interaction design that illustrates the properties of a general-purpose user interface for cloud computing. Eh?
The scenario the team envisions is one in which data is presented through handheld projectors or augmented eyeglasses, or displayed across multiple surface displays as 3-D visualizations. In terms of hardware, the Cloud Mouse is the key to this interactive experience. When a user moves the Cloud Mouse through these data visualizations, differentiated sensory outputs such as vibrations or sound will alert users to locations where they can they can retrieve or view information, post or store information, or steer closer toward a target.
Basic Operation
Well I hope that’s clear.
Whatever the mode of display, the Cloud Mouse is designed for virtual content and enables interaction with 360 degrees of movement, spatial depth, proximity, and geometric relationships between objects. In one demo scenario, the user views a photo as though standing inside the picture with the ability to view 360 degrees, make the mouse point up and down, and move deeper into the picture.
“The Cloud Mouse achieves a number of goals,” Harper says. “It allows the user to navigate across multiple screens with great precision. It’s tactile and feels natural to use. You can drag and drop by grasping it. You can use it to point directly at objects in the cloud space or drag and drop objects across different screens. We want users to feel as though they are right inside in the cloud space.”
So it’s a pointing device thingy that you can squeeze then. I think I still prefer the Wii Nunchuck though…
Read all about the cloud mouse at
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/030419-clientcloud.aspx
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