Rotary Mouse: an innovative mouse with a horizontal scroll wheel

The industry of PC peripherals rarely pleases with bold solutions, but the startup Airra Labs decided to challenge the usual ergonomics. Their Rotary Mouse project, which is currently fundraising on the Kickstarter platform, proposes a radical change to the scrolling mechanism.

Instead of a standard vertical wheel located between the buttons, a horizontal “steering wheel” is used here, which works parallel to the plane of the main keys. According to the authors, this form is more natural for the anatomy of the hand.

Design and ergonomic features

The main engineering goal of the Rotary Mouse is to eliminate tiring micro-movements. Traditional scrolling requires the constant participation of finger muscles, which causes fatigue during long-term work. The design of the Rotary Mouse replaces these repetitive actions with a more ergonomic movement, allowing you to control web pages, spreadsheets and various controls faster and with less effort.

According to the developers, with the help of the new technology, you can reach the right place on the page 2.5 times faster. At the same time, the device does not limit the user: the software also supports the standard scrolling mode. The wheel also acts as a regular third button, supporting the click function.

Usability

The developers paid attention to the practicality of the device. The design of the steering wheel provides for the possibility of its quick replacement or removal, which is very convenient for cleaning the unit from dust and dirt. The standard office mouse is called “problematic” by representatives of Airra Labs, criticizing it for insufficient scrolling control and stress on the joints.

Project status and price

The Kickstarter campaign is active, but the project has so far only managed to raise $3,983 of the $14,770 needed. The project was supported by 65 investors. Fundraising will continue until July 17. The price of the mouse for backers varies depending on the selected lot, and considering the target in US dollars, the price of the lots in hryvnias is equivalent to calculations based on market indicators (the price in USD will be the main one for international transactions).