Axsotic 3D Spherical "Mouse" Ball

[mouser]

Here's a new 3d controller -- looks pretty neat and compact.  In addition to the obvious rotating -- the video makes clear you can also move the ball in four directions.

The 3D-Spheric-Mouse's (patent pending) suspension gives you maximum freedom to rotate and move your virtual objects in 6 achses with only one hand!

Because the mouse lets you to use your fingers to rotate and your hand to move, there are no interferences or errors while navigating.

The 3D-Spheric-Mouse has no mechanical sensors that can generate unwanted behaviors. The specially developed polymer springbodies create a smoothly consistent workflow.

http://www.axsotic.com/

from http://www.gadgetreview.com/2010/10/axsotic-3d-mouse-will-change-3d-workflows.html

[Eóin]

Very very cool!

[Renegade]

Very very cool!

+1!

[f0dder]

6DOF isn't new, by any means - I had one of these several years ago.
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The Axsotic might be interesting because it doesn't use mechanical sensors... the SpaceOrb was precise enough, imho, but for gaming you needed to set it's sensitivity pretty high, which my motor skills simply aren't good enough to handle

Since it doesn't use mechanical sensors, I wonder if the Axsotic will require you to constantly move the input device in order to move stuff; with the SpaceOrb, you could circle-strafe around a target just by holding the ball in the right position. If the target moved, you needed only slight hand movements.

[mouser]

i think from the video you can see there is a big difference between the movement of the ball in the Axsotic case vs the SpaceOrb -- in the Axsotic, you can actually freely *SPIN* the ball, which should give you control over speed and let you do real continuous and controlled rotation in 3d space.. it seems like the SpaceOrb must be a very different kind of movement -- more akin to a joystick where the Axsotic is more like a trackball..

but wait.. hold on a moment.. doesn't a trackball do this already?  only the added joystick-like extra ability to push the ball in 3d at the same time is new then, and that looks clunky..

[nudone]

if you aren't using a pen at the same time as this new device there's no point to it. it's only a benefit for 3d artists/designers that will benefit from freeing up their keyboard hand for moving around in the x/y/z planes. in that respect i can see it being quite handy.

(for 3d games, can't see the point at all. but that's isn't the intended market.)

[rxantos]

Seem interesting. But, Would it really accelerate the workflow compared to a trackball?

[nudone]

Seem interesting. But, Would it really accelerate the workflow compared to a trackball?

i think it would, how much is hard to say without trying it. if you think of what is required without it. a trackball isn't going to allow you to move in the x/y/z planes - not even if you assign those movement to the trackball buttons instead of the regular "mouse" button clicks. well, you could but you'll need 6 buttons on the trackball to get the same results as the Axsotic is providing, a button for each movement: up, down, left, right, forwards, backwards. perhaps you could have 3 buttons and a toggle to reverse their direction.

so, you see, it starts to get cumbersome - and i don't even know if there are any 6 button trackballs out there (i doubt that there are).

again, this device is of no real benefit if you aren't wanting to use a pen at the same time as controlling movements around a 3d object. it's all about trying to keep the workflow smooth.

i do see the whole idea falling short of the target when you consider how much keyboard/hotkey shortcuts are probably going to be required whilst drawing - that's going to interrupt the workflow; so kind of defeats the whole keep your hand on the pen and ball idea.

programs like Maya do have clever radial shortuct menus (a bit like Circledock) that are only a click away so they'd be perfect for the Axsotic workflow.