The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    How do optical mice work?

    Discussion in 'Accessories' started by Alston251, Feb 27, 2008.

  1. Alston251

    Alston251 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    4
    Messages:
    143
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    How does a optical mouse work? Just out of intrest :confused:
     
  2. SmoothTofu

    SmoothTofu Inspiron 1420 Owner

    Reputations:
    64
    Messages:
    1,481
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Optical mice use some kind of laser diode that illuminates the surface it's on, which acts as a sensor and (I believe) takes multiple, successive pictures of the surface and coordinates this with the movement of the pointer.
     
  3. Nocturnal310

    Nocturnal310 Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    792
    Messages:
    2,708
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    LED not Laser Diode
     
  4. thnksfrthmmrs

    thnksfrthmmrs Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    294
    Messages:
    644
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I'd like to know how a ball mouse works lmao.
     
  5. SmoothTofu

    SmoothTofu Inspiron 1420 Owner

    Reputations:
    64
    Messages:
    1,481
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    It can be either or.
     
  6. meekus

    meekus Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    9
    Messages:
    161
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    You mean like an oldsk00l POS ball mouse?

    Those use two rollers, one for the X-axis and the other for the Y-axis, that turn with the ball's rotation in the respective axes spinning the spoked wheel attached to one end of each roller that in turn momentarily interrupts a beam of light traveling from an infrared LED to its paired photosensor at each wheel.
     
  7. thnksfrthmmrs

    thnksfrthmmrs Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    294
    Messages:
    644
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    hmm... interesting.
     
  8. MrFong

    MrFong Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    57
    Messages:
    654
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
  9. Prasad

    Prasad NBR Reviewer 1337 NBR Reviewer

    Reputations:
    1,804
    Messages:
    4,956
    Likes Received:
    10
    Trophy Points:
    106
    How does THIS mouse work ? :D

    [​IMG]


    Oh and I also found this.. pretty cool! :D

    [​IMG]

    I hope it's fake.. not stuffed :(
     
  10. nizzy1115

    nizzy1115 Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    2,557
    Messages:
    6,682
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    205
    Either way, CREEPY.
     
  11. Prasad

    Prasad NBR Reviewer 1337 NBR Reviewer

    Reputations:
    1,804
    Messages:
    4,956
    Likes Received:
    10
    Trophy Points:
    106
    lol sure is... also found some other "mice" like these.. but that one is enough for today :p