Microsoft designer creates special mouse for kids and elders

Advertisement (Why?)

TechFlash reports that Microsoft User Experience Designer, Mike LaManna has designed a computer mouse for those who have problems controlling a mouse. The mouse will help those with cognitive and physical disabilities or elderly computer users to hold the mouse properly.

LaManna who works in Creation and Collaboration team (PC3), along with the help of one of Microsoft's Senior Accessibility Strategist and a former Microsoft User Experience Researcher has created a speciality mouse for people with disbilities, by gluing a plastic ring or loop towards the back edge of the left mouse button. The mouse will help to keep fingers positioned over the mouse buttons. The mouse was prototyped and tested with students in the North Tonawanda and Bellevue school districts. LaManna gives a simple set of DIY instructions for parents and teachers to customize mice themselves by using any material like a plastic party ring, elastic, Velcro or parts of children toys to make a loop/ring that can be glued to the left button of the mouse.

More information about Microsoft's accessibility initiatives can be found here.

(1 reply) #1 qdave on 23 Apr 2009 - 16:02

a ring? well if it works why not.

#1.1 GP007 on 23 Apr 2009 - 16:04

Like the say, whatever works.

(3 replies) #2 Medfordite on 23 Apr 2009 - 16:23

Sorry, I can't stop thinking...

"With this ring, I thee wed."

#2.1 Majesticmerc on 23 Apr 2009 - 22:22

Medfordite said,

Finally, I can get married to my computer! Nothing else offers such reliable sexual gratification!

#2.2 iamwhoiam on 23 Apr 2009 - 22:27

LMAO!

#2.3 bradsday on 23 Apr 2009 - 23:03

Majesticmerc said,

Too damned funny.

(2 replies) #3 E.Fahd on 23 Apr 2009 - 17:09

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. Lord of the Mice

#3.1 magik on 23 Apr 2009 - 18:54

O da babay!

#3.2 Recon415 on 23 Apr 2009 - 21:17

Funny thing too, I just got done reading the last book an hour or so ago >.>

(1 reply) #4 Radiant on 23 Apr 2009 - 17:13

Lol

#4.1 toadeater on 23 Apr 2009 - 21:45

Radiant said,

It looks like someone glued a plastic ring from a gumball machine onto a regular mouse.

EDIT: wow, Darkfiber already said the same thing. I guess it must REALLY look like that? It does, doesn't it?

(3 replies) #5 +DARKFiB3R on 23 Apr 2009 - 17:26

"User Experience Designer, Mike LaManna has designed a computer mouse"

He's just glued a ring from a bubble gum machine to a mouse. Hardly bloody "designed" is it?

I bet he gets paid ridiculous amounts of money for this ****.

Suppose it will be of use to some though.

#5.1 +stifler6478 on 23 Apr 2009 - 17:38

DARKFiB3R said,

Nobody else thought of it...

#5.2 Glendi on 23 Apr 2009 - 18:55

stifler6478 said,

I smell patents.

#5.3 Sp32 on 23 Apr 2009 - 21:08

Im sure millions of people thought of it and then thought

'AHAHAH as if that would ever get anywhere'

I mean I thought of sticking lines on my monitor for people who can't see well can I have lots of money plskthx

#6 +Sethos on 23 Apr 2009 - 17:54

It may look simple but it's always the simple solutions that works, why does everything have to be over-engineered to get some credit these days? If it works, great! Nobody else made a mouse like that.

#7 Examinus on 23 Apr 2009 - 17:54

Keep it secret, keep it safe.

(1 reply) #8 xXDestroyerGRXx on 23 Apr 2009 - 18:05

Yes it is good for people with down syndrome

#8.1 VIVIsectVI on 24 Apr 2009 - 00:57

xXDestroyerGRXx said,

Funny. So have you pre-ordered yours yet?

#9 +majortom1981 on 23 Apr 2009 - 18:19

Hmm interesting. This would also help people with parkinsons whos finger keeps moving and cant stay on the button.

#10 booboo on 23 Apr 2009 - 18:24

I think that picture is a "mockup", it certainly looks like it is

#11 ajua on 23 Apr 2009 - 18:48

As the science says (more or less): In a finite number of complex solutions, most of the time the best answer is the most simple.

If this works, why not produce it?

as majortom1981 said, this will definitively help those with parkinson's decease and others.

#12 +CelticWhisper on 23 Apr 2009 - 19:17

What use is a mouse that kills you 7 days after you first look at it?

#13 +Kirkburn on 23 Apr 2009 - 19:38

This page is like a study in the connotations of rings in the modern world:

In any case, deceptively simple, good idea.

(1 reply) #14 drumkill on 23 Apr 2009 - 21:24

lol.. nothing groundbreaking in sticking a "ring" on a mouse button!

#14.1 +Kirkburn on 24 Apr 2009 - 00:46

drumkill said,

Did you think of it?

#15 shakey_snake on 23 Apr 2009 - 23:37

Why the index finger? Trying to make middle-clicking a pain in the A**?

I'd think it'd be much better to put the ring on any of the other three fingers.

#16 Kevin Berg on 24 Apr 2009 - 01:41

As someone with a severe disability, I know it usually costs 4x as much for adaptive technology. I can't use this "ring" idea myself, but I'm glad to hear they aren't trying to make $$$ from it (yet).

(1 reply) #17 bobfastner on 24 Apr 2009 - 15:12

What is really needed is mouse software that audibly says "left click", "right click" and "scrolling" when they do to train people to use a mouse. I have to explain these simple concepts to people who have been using computers for years. I would think the ring prevents wandering index fingers only. You would be stuck in left click. A deeper swale on the button would locate fingers more positively.

#17.1 Solid Knight on 25 Apr 2009 - 00:49

I had a lady who couldn't quite wrap her mind around the fact that the mouse is a relative pointing device. She'd insist on moving the mouse towards the physical area of the screen she wanted the cursor to me at.

I'm just amazed at why these concepts are just so friggin' hard for some people to understand. Might have something to do with their view of technology as some sort of mystical black box that obeys no rules and has no logic.

Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!

Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.

Neowin.net