The Design of a Computer Mouse Providing Three Degrees of Freedom

We present the design process of designing and implementing a 3DOF mouse. First, we provide a review of the current literature in the field. Then we introduce a focus group workshop activity underlying the whole design process, pointing us towards graphical design applications and 3D modeling tools. Third, we present our prototype design process in some detail, especially denoting the important role we believe product semantics plays. We argue that 3DOF mice are most useful for small but precise rotation movements. If the extra degree of freedom provided by 3DOF mice over 2DOF mice is limited to such subtle manipulation tasks, we believe users might be more willing to accept them.