New Jupiter Mouse Accelerometer: Less, But Better
November 10, 2008 by Mary Anne Simpson
Jupiter Mouse. Image: Actbrice Electronics.
(PhysOrg.com) -- Actbrise Electronics embraces form and function in creating the Jupiter Mouse. The round wooden mouse is made from Chinese Flowering Ash located in the countryside of Gunma Prefecture in Japan. The accelerometer wooden mouse has natural color wooden swirls which resemble the planet Jupiter. The click button resembles the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. Early Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese star-gazers referred to Jupiter as the "Wood Star" representing one of the ancient Five Elements.
The Jupiter Mouse rests comfortably in your hand and operates in a free-style fashion which directs the cursor by tilting the wooden ball in the direction and velocity a user desires. The Jupiter in operation with its smooth wood grain exterior creates an aesthetic desk accessory and navigation tool.
The Jupiter Mouse has a tactile soothing feature that lends itself to being used as a stress reduction device. Rolling the Jupiter Mouse in your hand produces a relaxing experience. The standard ergonomically designed mouse while greatly improved in the past five-years doesn´t compare with the earthy-feel of the Jupiter Mouse. A light weight round wooden ball poised to navigate in all directions with a twirl and a right click, left click and click-on button along the swirling rings of Jupiter.
When the Jupiter Mouse is not in use it rests on a Zen inspired square wooden block. The Jupiter Mouse with a single inconspicuous cable uses the USB 2.0 port as a connection to your PC desktop or laptop. Minimalism design captures the essence of "less is more." Inspired by traditional Japanese design, minimalism transcends geography as represented by the German Pavilion in Barcelona.
Minimalism is characterized by subtle use of color and natural textures with clean and fine finishes. The inherent beauty of the object is the focal point. Actbrise Electronic´s design team has created a functional piece of art which might be described as "Less, but better" a motto of industrial designer Dieter Rams. Japan Trend Shop´s on-line store offers the Jupiter Ball for $227. Handmade does not come cheap in any marketplace.
For a glimpse of the Jupiter Mouse in action, check out the Jupiter Mouse YouTube video.
© 2008 PhysOrg.com
Apr 02, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Sorry Mary, but that video makes it look like an incredible pain in the ass to use. And all this non-sense about "soothing feature," "inconspicuous cable" and "minimalism." Just how much do you make on every sale?
Wii remotes are ~$35 dollars and with a few simple "hacks" and free software can provide the exact same functionality. But then I guess you miss out on "swirling rings of Jupiter."