June
2006, Issue 191
Nontraditional
Cursor Control
ATmega32-Based
Motion Sensing
Andrew
and Joseph’s motion-sensing glove enables you to control
the cursor on your computer screen without the use
of a mouse. Built around an ATmega32 microcontroller,
the system functions as a two-button mouse with vertical
scrolling.
by
Andrew Sawchuk & Joseph Tanen
Many
tasks that are performed on a computer require the use
of both a keyboard and a mouse, and plenty of people
find it frustrating to have to switch back and forth
between the two peripherals. We designed a solution
to this problem. Our Airmouse motion-sensing glove functions
as a mouse with variable rates of vertical scrolling
when it’s plugged into a PC (see Photo 1). Accelerometers
in the glove measure the magnitude of your hand’s inclination.
The direction and speed of the cursor is then set as
a function of the accelerometer output.
|
(Click
here to enlarge)
|
Photo
1—Check out the Airmouse in all of its white, silky,
cheap-prom-dress glory. We rescued our little friend
from an inexpensive accessory store. |
The
Atmel ATmega32-based Airmouse is easy to use. When you
want to move the cursor on your screen, simply push
a button on the glove and then tilt your hand to move
the cursor in the corresponding direction.
In
this article, we’ll describe how we developed this nontraditional
cursor controller. The topics we’ll cover should inspire
you to get creative with your own human-computer interface
(HCI) system.
