footswitch mouse

The footswitch mouse, an Instructable for all the people with index finger tired for doing so many clicks while browsing in Internet, specially when navigate the instructable.com site-

I hope this idea will be useful for people like me, well, happy browsing.

Step 1 Parts fot the footswitch mouse

1 old mouse
1 platform for support the footswitch
1 switch (game console switch)

Comments

[fairysdad]

My adaptation of this:

Instead of hard-wiring the switch to the mouse clicker, I put a 6.5mm jack socket in its place so I could use a footswitch I already had. To save having to rewire the USB lead the mouse came with, instead of drilling a hole into the project box, a slit was cut at the top for the lead to go through; so the lead couldn't move, a strip of electrical tape was put on the lead on either side of the slit.

I labelled the jack input socket 'Left' so that in future I may be able to add one for the right-clicker! My main intention for this is to navigate my way through PowerPoint presentations...

The reason for the large box is because for some reason I thought I'd put the whole mouse in there rather than just the circuitry. It works fine though - I can store the footpedal in there!

[cutehmea]

is it right to use 250V-3A spst switch to connect in the mouse circuit?

[cutehmea]

i hope that this project as i make will function. and this project footswitch can help to our disscusion to know more what is footswitch . thanks for the one who make this.

[squirrelMLM]

very interesting concept. you should make another foot thing for the other foot to move the mouse around. just glue the mouse into a hole in a piece of wood. t Look Ma, NO HANDS!

[dboscoe]

So, do you have this switch wired in parallel with the original switch in the mouse? Or do you use a USB mouse in addition to this foot switch? I'm not really clear on that... I was thinking it would be nice to build something that had left and right pedals, and even buttons that mapped to keystrokes.

[odrarek]

I have the footswitch in "parallel" mode with other two mouses ( one mini din y other one usb), and i use the three elements , for examle when my finger is so tired or so sensitive i can use the foot switch or the other mouse, sometimes i use the two mouses with the left left i move up and down with the rigt mouse i select and with the foot switch also select items when i am in the position .

[mondaymonkey]

on my desktop I have 3 monitors (2 off of this laptop, meaning 1 is VGA, and the other is HDMI), while 1 monitor is running my Netbook (Ubuntu 9.04 off of a Asus EeePc 901 I scored for 200 bucks 6 mo ago (only 4 gb hdd tho). I find that this project would also be amazing to "reroute" my mouse from one computer to the other, without moving to a different mouse. More on the project later.

[transeunte]

At least in MS Windows, it doesn't matter how many "mices" you plug, they'll operate like one. I've tried this myself - if you plug two units and move them in opposing directions (with about the same speed) they'll cancel each other and the cursor will remain still. :)

[avwos]

I know this is off topic, but THAT BUTTON IS AWESOME :D Wher'd you get it??

[matbh]

if u use this click, how u move the pointer?

[avwos]

I suppose you would use a seperate mouse.

[unreal_ed]

Can you use it the pedal so that it becomes a new button, not just a mouse click? Maybe if you solder it to one of those keyboard add-ons with extra keys
(http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-920-000946-G13-Advanced-Gameboard/dp/B001NEK2GE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1245347710&sr=1-2)

Having an extra key linked to your feet could be an extra, really handy, easy to access key (you could set it in Battlefield and other FPSes to the sprint)

[blakeredfield]

That got me thinking what other body parts can be used to control the mouse... ermmm that came out wrong...

[JamesW]

I'm sorry, to be such a buzzkill on the handicap applications, but bear with me. This...could very easily be the easiest method I've ever seen for making a DIY star power pedal, that could be used with Frets on Fire (with Alarian, that is...). I'm so tempted to make now now, it's not even funny.

[Nesagwa]

This is a really great idea. Even further than just being good for the tired or lazy this would be very helpful to handicapped persons that are unable to use their fingers to click a mouse button. I think you should pursue this further.

[wurlybird9]

there are a number of alternative controllers to assist the handicapped, including head and eye tracking devices. There are footswitches for directional control as well. I personally like to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground, but I like to see alternative controllers. Until we either decide or are forced to get our brains directly wired, it would be nice to have a variety of options. I personally loathe the symbolism behind the mouse; it creates the mentality of a rat navigating a maze. I don't like being reminded that we're probably being experimented on.

[drummonkey92]

awsum! now to wire it so that the mouse will follow my eye movements so i could play guitar while on internet....hmm....

[gamer]

I have made something very similar, which I called the "Fouse-click". It works really well... but I gave it to my father, and he doesn't use it much. Nice Instructable and nice pictures! -gamer

[joejoerowley]

Cool! Great Instructable! Thanks Joe