The newest concept design in the market today is the Toe Mouse. Designer Liu Yi has taken inspiration from the theme of the beach, from the design of the regular flip-flops to the harmonious black and white lines of the orca. She has developed this specific concept especially for those individuals who are physically challenged on the upper part of their bodies. As can be derived from the name itself Toe Mouse, this device is a mouse, but is held and moved by using the foot to control the pointer. Found at each toe is a sensor to help make clicking easier.
Using the computer can be a frustrating and disheartening task for those individuals whose upper extremities are missing or which do not function as optimally as before. This product designed and developed by Liu Yi was made to make such a task a piece of cake. This particular mouse is wireless and is grasped between the big and second toes. Found beneath the device is an optical sensor which helps steer the cursor on the screen, a function similar to those of other devices.
As regular or standard devices are created with buttons, the Toe Mouse has sensors at each toe. These sensors on the big and second toes act as the left click and the right click respectively. It should not be forgotten, too, that these have double click functions. The design itself is molded from the curves of a flip-flop to make the device comfortable to the user. It is in no way difficult to use for those individuals who have the ability to utilize their feet in painting or writing.
The Toe Mouse holds a certain degree of guarantee that there are definitely countless numbers of physically handicapped individuals who will benefit from this, but it’s not just them who will get to take advantage of this technology. Game enthusiasts who keep searching for another ‘arm’, and the animators/modelers who want to multi-task or work on several monitors without having to use their arms will also benefit from such an amazing invention.
Although I salute those people who have beaten the odds their physical handicap has left them with, I do not think that I would be using one of these devices just yet. It will be difficult to adjust having to use one’s toe to click with. It will certainly need practice!
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Tags: flip-flop mouse, mouse, mouse for disabled people, new mouse design, slipper mouse, toe mouse
