Microsoft unveils the multitouch mouse

Posted on 7 Oct 2009 at 11:33

Microsoft has unveiled the first fruits of research into bringing multitouch technology to the humble mouse.

The Windows maker’s Applied Sciences Group has produced a series of prototype devices that use a variety of technologies to detect finger movement, including infrared cameras, a capacitive sensing grid and optical sensors.

The Arty Mouse, for example, places an optical sensor underneath the thumb and the forefinger, allowing the PC to detect pinching movements for zooming in on photos.

The Side Mouse, on the other hand, is a small device that rests entirely beneath the palm, allowing the fingers to tap on the desk. IR cameras and a laser detect the movement of the fingers, creating “a multitouch area that is not restricted to the physical surface of the device.”

The team claim the devices could help multitouch make the breakthrough into everyday desktop computing.

“With the emergence of multitouch, we now have the opportunity to manipulate digital content with increased dexterity,” the team writes in a paper.

“But whilst multitouch has been incorporated into many different form-factors—from tabletop to mobile phone—it has yet to find a place on our desktops.”

In fact, that isn’t entirely true, Wacom having introduced the multitouch Bamboo tablet last month.

Apple is also said to be working on touch technology for the mouse. A recent filing to the US Federal Communications Commission described a new version of the Mighty Mouse with “an expanded touch sensitive housing” in place of the current model’s nipple.

Author: Barry Collins / Simon Aughton

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