Established Member
I have in my possession an old computer (optical) mouse which someone kindly gave me, as they know my hobby ofdestroyingexamining outdated/broken electronics goods.
The mouse still "works" but I'm not in need of any extra and this one is a cheapo model. I was thinking if any of you know some good parts of it that I can take out and use for making something cool. The sensors and electronic part might come handy in making some tools.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Order of Kilopi
If only it were a laser mouse
Order of Kilopi
Well, the output of the mouse is quite simple. I guess it gives voltage pulses on some channels when moved (ie 2 channels with positive or negative voltages for motion, or 4 channels with positive voltages only) and some channels for the buttons. Ignoring the buttons for a moment, you could use a simple transistor setup to amplify the output voltages of the mouse and feed groups of LED's or something with it. you could do anything with the LED's, for example place them such that they form smileys, and moving your hand in a different direction over the sensor causes a different smiley to light up. Or maybe something a bit more complex: make crossroads and traffic lights. Again use a transistor setup to amplify the direction voltages on the channels, but this time use a relais or something (not too much into electronics) and make traffic lights:
When something passes the traffic lights left to right or right to left, that direction switches to red and the other direction to green until something passes in the top/bottom direction. The sensor would be in the centre of the crossroads and ligned up with the roads. The roads would have to be one car wide only, such that your cars always drive over the sensor. Optionally you could use the LMB to put all lights to flashing orange, and the RMB to put them back to their red/green function using another relais switch.
Have fun with it!Start by looking/up measuring the mouse output. One point to take in mind here: a mouse also has input power on one or more of its pins. First thing to do hence is looking up the function and voltages of each pin. You'll have to make a power source too when you don't connect the mouse to a PC.
Banned
Mouse output
<Gets a broom and dustpan... Sigh>
Established Member
Thanks for the suggestions Nicolas. Will try that.
Order of Kilopi
If you find a way to make it battery powered,, you could even take a large toy truck, put the mouse sensor centered but far forward or backward from the rotation centre in the bottom, and make working lights: when it moves forward, the yellow leds on the front light up. When it moves backward, they dim and red lights at the rear light up. When sideways motion is felt (when you are turning, that's why it needs to be far forward or backward from the rotation centre) the orange direction indicators on the relevant side light up.
In short: I'd do something nice with having the (amplified) mouse signals steering LEDs.
Banned
THAT is an interesting idea!Originally Posted by Nicolas
If you find a way to make it battery powered,, you could even take a large toy truck, put the mouse sensor centered but far forward or backward from the rotation centre in the bottom, and make working lights: when it moves forward, the yellow leds on the front light up. When it moves backward, they dim and red lights at the rear light up. When sideways motion is felt (when you are turning, that's why it needs to be far forward or backward from the rotation centre) the orange direction indicators on the relevant side light up.
In short: I'd do something nice with having the (amplified) mouse signals steering LEDs.
And I have a box fulla optical meece.
Order of Kilopi
Do take into account the lense needs to have a surface in focus. The focal distance is easy to determine: just look how high above the table it is installed in the mouse. So when placing the mouse or what's left of it on the underside of the truck or below a road surface, you need to use the same distance for best detection. If you connect it with nuts 'n' bolts on the truck/below the road, you can change this distance easily until you've got optimal focus.
btw for the truck, you'd have to check where it detects sideways motion best in turns; i said centered but far forward of rearward from the rotational centre, but now I think one of the forward corners is the best location. Along the centre line, you'll detect very little sideways motion when not making a slipping turn.
Banned
Some glue and extra hair from your cat will turn that mouse into something that actually more closely resembles a mouse, which can then become an interesting play toy for the cat from whom you got the hair.
Order of Kilopi
I guess that TRS would look into a somewhat more electronic application of the mouse.
Established Member
They also work better on uneven surfaces and maybe cause less friction, because it won't be actually touching the surface beneath, of course, as long as it's within the detecting range.I guess that TRS would look into a somewhat more electronic application of the mouse.
The scroll wheel can also come useful as a rotation sensor or measuring angles to a certain accuracy.
Order of Kilopi
If you want to use the scroll wheel to measure angles in more than a up/0/down fashion you'll have to go into software because AFAIK the wheel only sends a simple on/off signal, not how far it is turned.
Banned
Good point. Same with optical mice. It's just a series of 1s for moving in one direction and 0s for moving in another. The software (operating system) is what keeps track of them (although I believe most BIOS/CMOS take care of that and simply pass the position to the OS.
Order of Kilopi
I believe it's 1's in up, zero when nothing and 1's on another channel for downs, but the point remains
Honored Member
Order of Kilopi
Very nice plan, but that's for a classic ball mouse though.
Banned
Yep and I got extra of those too.
I'm gonna build me one
Honored Member
Oops. But, I suggest prowling the junk robotics sites in general. Lots of very clever people there.
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