Mouse of the Future? N.C. Students Navigate PCs with Glove

Editor’s note: This article is part of WRAL Local Tech Wire’s highlighting of research at universities across the Carolinas and Georgia.

By Amy Anselm, NCSU Engineering Communications

RALEIGH — Ever wondered if there was an easier way to control all your favorite devices? Something easy to use and intuitive, at once inconspicuous yet stylish? Something to revolutionize how you access technology?

That "next cool thing" is in the works, thanks to a course in N.C. State University's College of Engineering and the innovative minds of a few of its students.

"We're calling it the Manus Glove," said Ameir Al-Zoubi, a senior in computer science at N.C. State and member of the four-student team that developed the device. "Basically, it is the mouse of the future."

Based on technology similar to that used in the "Wiimotes," the primary controllers for the Nintendo™ Wii game console, the Manus Glove uses motion control to translate small motions into acceleration.

"This maps the movement of your hand, not the position of it," Al-Zoubi said.

"The learning curve takes maybe a half an hour at most," said team member Matthew Crenshaw, a senior in computer science.

While explaining the device, Crenshaw flicked his way through application windows, browsing Web pages and dragging and zooming online maps to demonstrate the glove's capabilities. He controlled the speed of the cursor's movement with the angle of his hand, quickly and easily changing the cursor's direction – increasing, decreasing and stopping its motion all with small turns of his wrist.

A flick of his finger backward sent his browser window back a page; pinching his fingers together opened documents and links.

"That's one of the key features: it's just so fun to use," Al-Zoubi said.

The glove has sensors attached to the ends of each digit so that touching the thumb to other digits acts as a "click" and activates hotkeys. It works with computers and other devices that rely on Bluetooth technology, utilizing the capabilities already used in the individual control of cell phones, mp3 players, headsets, keyboards and other devices.

One of the group's main goals for the development of the glove was to unify control of these and other wireless devices.

"There's been great movement towards multi-functional devices in the market," Al-Zoubi said. Cell phones evolved into cameras and mp3 players; now they're more like mini computers with phone capabilities. Even shoes can record the distances and paces of a run and can sync up to the playlist on the runner's mp3 player. There are examples everywhere.

"We have designed a glove to control your computer," said Al-Zoubi. "It's also easy to use and more intuitive than a standard mouse."

There are many devices in the market working toward convenience and centralization, but not in such an intuitive – or stylish – way. There are now ergonomic keyboards and better headsets and microphones, but the mouse is the one thing that hasn't really changed.

"People are too scared to change it, to shake up the market," Al-Zoubi said.

That's exactly what the group wants to do with the Manus Glove.

"As far as I can see, no one's really gotten into this," said Dr. Alan Tharp, professor of computer science at N.C. State and leader of the "Innovating in Technology" course that inspired the project. "With the iPhone, the iPod, etc, it's more an idea of touching the screen and getting a visual display.

"But no one's really caught onto this idea of having this three-dimensional motion that gives you so much freedom," he said. "With the mouse, you're stuck right there, but with the glove you can do all sorts of things."

So how did this idea come to be a prototype?

"We had a design project for a class; we were told to come up with something that bugged us and then a solution to it," said Al-Zoubi, who worked with Crenshaw, David Catchings and John Lewis, all NC State seniors in computer science. "We were bugged by new mice that look fancy but that are really just the same old thing."

The ease-of-use and intuitive nature of the device, plus it's ability to centralize the control of wireless devices, create a wealth of possibilities for the future of the project and product.

"We're thinking we could make this like a leather driving glove," Al-Zoubi said. "As a businessman, you could wear it all the time and control all your devices at once.

"Everything you need is already in the glove."

Working professionals make up the main market the group targeted in its business plan, and they see the glove's greatest selling point as a tool for professionals and a particularly helpful aid in presentations. The glove is more natural, easier to use and less distracting.

Instead of having to hold a mouse, remote, or even clicker in your hand, simply slip on a sleek glove and control all the necessary electronics with simple and innocuous movements of your fingers and wrist.

In addition to workers in the business class, the device will have a great appeal to the "cool tech" people, said Al-Zoubi – those who have the coolest laptops and purchase the newest phones and mp3 players.

"Devices like those, and this, make a statement about who you are and how you like to access technology," he said. "Technology is a part of everyone's daily life. Devices like these personalize it."

And just as the white earbuds of the iPod have become a fashion statement, the students can see the Manus Glove becoming the next cool thing to wear.

According to Al-Zoubi and Crenshaw, there are many aspects and possibilities that could be explored and developed with additional funding.

Physically impaired users could simplify the use of all their devices into one and have complete and accurate device control with minimal movements. Design-wise, there are also many possibilities for users to track their hand motions over any type of surface and transfer it instantly to a computer program.

Funding was the group's largest difficulty in developing the device.

"Our budget was zero," Al-Zoubi said. "The school bought some circuit boards and a chip for us. The rest of it was all up to us."

There were also a few construction and hardware difficulties for the group.

"Soldering wires onto the board was about the hardest thing ever," Crenshaw said with a laugh. "Keep in mind, we're in computer science, not electrical engineering."

"One of the harder issues is making the components small and compact enough to fit in a glove and have the device still feel like a glove," Al-Zoubi said. "We don't want something big and clunky; we want it small, sleek, business-like."

The overall design process took about two months. With the prototype they have now, the students are focusing on functionality above aesthetics. They did make a few adjustments for color.

"The colors we were aiming at were black and red," Al-Zoubi said.