Back in the day, Genius made a wearable mouse designed to be worn on the index finger, which came with a trackpad-like sensor that let you control the onscreen cursor using your thumb. It was a cool design, although the cramped trackpad space probably didn’t offer the most precise control. However, the idea of a mouse you can wear on your fingers remains an interesting concept, which is why we’re curious about the Clip Mouse.
No, it’s not a mouse in a ring form factor. Instead, it’s designed as a clip that’s meant to fit on the side of the index finger, which uses its sensors to track an invisible mouse on your hand. That’s right, an invisible mouse. With this thing on your finger, you can pretend like you’re handling a mouse and get the onscreen cursor to respond accordingly, eliminating the need to bring an actual mouse along. Heck, you don’t even need a flat surface, making it possible to do mouse-intensive work on a couch, an armchair, or even in the car (not while you’re driving, of course).
The Clip Mouse is equipped with a motion-sensing gyroscope, similar to what’s used in VR controllers, allowing it to recognize all the movements you make with the hand you put it on and the two fingers its worn over (forefinger and middle finger). According to the outfit, the sensor has been programmed to recognize movement in the horizontal plane, essentially detecting how your hand is moving the invisible mouse, which it then translates to standard mouse input for your computer. Because it focuses on horizontal movements, it’s going to ignore most other hand movements you perform, so you can use your hand to type on the keyboard without causing the cursor to move around.
Aside from detecting mouse movement, the device can also detect motions performed by the forefinger and middle finger using a touchpad on the underside. That means, it recognizes left clicks, right clicks, scroll ups, scroll downs, and even double clicks. Beyond those basic mouse functions, the device actually aims to replicate the functionality of Apple’s Magic Mouse. That means, you can make swiping motions and the device will detect it, making it especially useful for those who like the multi-touch functions on Apple’s peripheral.
The Clip Mouse comes with a small button along the side that’s easily accessible by your thumb. Its main function is to pause the device’s operation, allowing you to move your hand without affecting the cursor onscreen. Additionally, you can use the button to reset the mouse. This comes in handy when the cursor freezes for whatever reason – all you have to do is press and hold the button for three seconds, at which point the mouse will reset and allow you to regain control of the onscreen cursor. We’re not sure exactly why they expect it to get stuck, but hopefully it’s something they can eliminate down the line.
A built-in rechargeable battery powers the device’s operation, allowing you to use it for 50 hours between charges using a USB-C cable. According to the outfit, the wearable is universal and should fit nearly all hand types.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for the Clip Mouse. You can reserve a unit for pledges starting at $65.
