A company called Reasonable Electronics is working on a project called Feathertail that looks to enter Kickstarter at some point. Feathertail is a wearable mouse that has been designed for those with Repetitive Strain Injuries or with limited mobility. Essentially, users can strap the mouse to their wrist, foot, and even hat to take control of their PC.
The mouse is said to have no buttons and includes velcro straps for attachment elsewhere. Although, apparently any 22mm watch strap will fit the device. The patent-pending 3D orientation software details that the mouse is continually running, allowing the user to use the 3D movement without the need for recalibration or keeping it straight. It makes use of a gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer for that extra precision.
In a press release, the operation of the Feathertail was described like this. “Simply hold, or attach the mouse with the LED facing away from you, and the mouse cursor will follow your movement. Even at a 90-degree angle, or with the device completely flipped over.”
The Feathertail mouse weighs 28 grams and the battery can be charged to full in about two hours and is said to last “up to a week between charges,” as well as working out of the box. The mouse uses a USB HID protocol which means that there are no drivers to mess around with. It’s compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, and Android through a dongle.
In addition, the mouse can be customized. The sensitivity can be adjusted, and several options for mouse clicks are available such as free dwell or voice dictation.
The official Feathertail website details more information and product images of the project and some examples of who it’s suited for. The project is stated to be heading to Kickstarter but no timeframe has been detailed yet.
