A designer named Vadim Kibardin has whipped up what might well be the coolest computer mouse ever.
Dubbed BAT, the mouse uses MagLev technology to float a small distance above its circular pad. Unfortunately, this isn’t an actual product you can purchase at this point, as the designer says the device is currently in a testing and market research stage.
Kibardin says he came up with the idea for the floating mouse when trying to design a product that would help alleviate pain and injury associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. To be sure, the mouse was designed, “to prevent and treat the contemporary disease Carpal tunnel syndrome (Median nerve dysfunction / entrapment). Мany active computer users can be prone to this ailment.”
The design of the mouse is almost impossible to believe, and it’s incredibly cool floating in the air. Of course, I’m not a doctor, but I don’t see how a floating mouse will help alleviate pain from carpal tunnel. What causes the pain from carpal tunnel isn’t the friction between the mouse and the mouse pad surface, but rather the repetitive movements of the wrist back and forth.
According to Kibardin, the BAT MagLev mouse floats 40 mm above the mouse pad surface without any external pressure. The mouse promises to float at least 10 mm above the levitation platform with 1 kg of downward force applied. Presumably, that means the mouse will float even with your hand resting on top of it. The floating mouse does require a connection to an 18 V AC adapter to power the magnets.
Pricing is unannounced and availability is unknown. Presumably, the device may never come to market, although the designer has already lined up manufacturing facilities to produce the BAT mouse.
