Wooden mouse with their hands

Have you ever wondered how things are, which way they go from idea to realization, as simple things simple? How easy is it to do a comb? A computer mouse? A wooden computer mouse from solid mahogany bar with LCD small screen with its own e-filling and braided and made especially for her cable? I think you will be interested in my way that I went for 2, 5 years creating my mouse.

The design, engineering, modeling

Since the construction, I was a complete zero, and to the point, I came as a complete ignoramus. I bought clay and began to sculpt his dreams mouse.

First, I'm blind mouse that perfectly suits me to work on the desktop. She pictures a large dark gray. Then I'm blind mouse that fits me for the role of mobile (small dark gray). And then I took the children to steal a piece of clay to work, and colleagues fashioned a mouse, claims to be the "people." She lay perfectly in the hand for most of the male population of our team (pictured colored). And what? Turned dull and banal forms we day and night to pull his hands in every way. Apparently, among the three standard mice every user finds it convenient. The triumph of the ideal?

As a result, the computer mouse has been simulated, which, from my point of view, claimed to be the elegant and beautiful.

At the time, she loved me madly. And, without thinking twice, I shared a computer model to detail. It was thought fasteners and mating in the electronics. It sounds simple, but in fact were spent hundreds of hours of painstaking work.

Then the items received were grown on 3D-machine to check the collection.

The material - polyamide. In his hand he is sitting well, like a glove. All parts fit together, technological assembly also took place without problems

The next step - milling in the tree. Acquired, probably a dozen different species of redwoods, but began with sapele wood, other breeds are waiting in the wings.

Live design did not like. Vertical gap between the buttons and the case looked bad and slovenly. Visible technology "sore" when working with wood - chips and withdrawal of the tree. And the main thing - the keys are not bent, there was no clicks.

For a long time I am thinking about design. Something embarrassing, and there was no sense of satisfaction. Then I realized - mice lacking solidity. I decided to return to the original version of the mouse, which I modeled in the beginning, only on a professional level, and with the use of clay sculpture. In one mouse, two design options made. It is convenient for comparison and decision.

After obtaining the final version was made 3D-scanning and transfer surfaces in SolidWorks.

The second model to be not much more successful than the first. Button is not pressed, and fix it in the current model was not possible. model marriage was laid at the DNA level. We need a more integrated approach with simultaneous control and design and technology. Otherwise nothing happens. Whether or technological excellence, and good design, but not all at once. These characteristics are sitting on opposite sides of the swing. Therefore, I throw out all the garbage and start from the beginning. Sketch design-modeling testing, cultivation, and so on, but with a process control of critical parameters on the one hand, and design on the other. We are looking for a middle ground.

The third model is already done in the framework of the classical cycle of the product design. I began with a sketch.

to draw outlines.

And finally approved design.

Plasticine layout.

3D-scanner, receiving surface.

The computer model.

Then began the process of refining the body. CNC machine to cut the body, test, modify, and then cut out again. As a result, workable only get a tenth version of the case. The biggest challenge was to make a comfortable keystroke. As a result, in some places the wood thickness decreased to 0, 7 mm! On housing improvements process took me a year.

Wood were made as the wheel and jack.

At the wheel, I paid a laser engraved with the brand Clickwood.

On the approach the eleventh version of the body, where I will make minor changes. I also began to develop a wireless version of the mouse. Wireless module based on Bluetooth technology, Optosensor - laser. AAA Batteries, 2 pieces, with the possibility of replacement. When recharging the mouse will continue to work. All the elements are very tight, with the arrangement had to be pretty smash his head. As the container for the batteries is a cavity, specifically carved in the wooden case mouse.

The wooden parts of

Working with the tree begins with the selection of the wood. Boards must have the correct geometry, have a minimum of knots and flaws, and have the necessary moisture.

Initially the board is dried at home. At least six months.

Then the board is cut into small bars, which are finally dried for several weeks at the place of further processing. At all stages, the humidity is controlled by a special device. If we neglect the drying process, the tree loses its geometric stability, and production and operation of the mouse becomes impossible.

Prepared bars are processed on CNC machine using a specially developed program.

From the beginning of creation to the details and click the final assembly parts are rigidly fixed on a metal snap to any of the stages of the item has changed its shape and geometry.

The treatment of the upper part of the mouse has to do with a jeweler's precision, because its profile is designed for soft clicks and in some places very thin. I control the pressing force grammometrom. In normal mice, it ranges from 50 to 75 HS. I try to win 50 HS.

From the tree in my project linked the greatest difficulties. Moreover, it is the most significant part of the cost, and the proportion of marriage here is very high. Wood - anisotropic material. It can and lead, can get vices arise chips, and a mistake in the final coating technology may lead to the fact that the mouse body is sent to the trash. I confess that I'm processing technology is still improving and is not sure until the end, I found the right one. For the statistics: in the first batch of ten buildings to the finished product came just three. Therefore, part of the process chain related to the tree, is critical to the cost and quality of the finished product. Above it is a permanent job. Later work plan with the bone. In particular, already engaged in the creation of the wheel bone.

E of the

I click the first chart I developed independently. As a top optical sensor took ADNS-3090 sensor Avago's company, brains became Atmel's controller, the other components of branded companies such as Murata, Yageo, Geyer, Omron and Molex.

Particular attention is paid to quality nutrition mouse, then, in my opinion, his perfectionism reached absolute

The first working maketka.

In the black version, the final.

There were also experiments with different buttons. I always tried to pick up a quiet Mouse among others. Well, I just do it myself, I decided to conduct an experiment and make a mouse and test it in the work. To do this, click the left and right "minivan" replaced the soft and silent, to use for the center button (notice that the center button clicks are always quieter?). A special version of the board was created, where all three of the same have been installed "mikrika".

The mouse was a couple of weeks in my operation, and I can share the conclusion: in my case, the lack of a clique - is uncomfortable. Wood absorbs some click, and it seems that the tight wooden keys, and you have to press harder. It is difficult to describe the feeling, but the closest analogy - as if a finger is the mouse button is made of soft, to crumb, trees, and for sure you need to click it to defraud.

The experiment can be considered successful, because to get a clear result of what should be the response of mouse click - a clear, ringing, uniquely interpreted.

I picked up and bought mouse game gold-plated connectors. As usual in China. I do not know about "good contact", but with wood harmonize perfectly.

Small screen, the firmware

Inspired by the idea to place the mouse in the display, he began his search among hundreds of suppliers. The requirements were simple: strict dimensional constraints and the possibility of at least a minimum of eight character display familiarity. While picking up, I learned almost all displays. They vary in type: character and graphic, technology: TAB, COG, TFT, OLED, LCD, E-Paper and others. Each type or technology still has many varieties, sizes, colors, highlighting, and so forth. In general, what has been digging. Break half of the Internet, I found out that I needed a size produces only one company in the whole world. All other options are clearly greater in size. And even found me display barely placed inside the mouse. Alternatively considered custom display that I could make for my needs, but it is a very expensive option for me (about a hundred thousand rubles). For the first model is quite suitable graphic display with a resolution of 128 x 64 pixels, which I chose.

In order to understand how to look real, and combined with my mouse display, I had to be ordered from the manufacturers all kinds of display. What do these species? The model name consists of alphanumeric unpronounceable FP12P629AU12 type combinations. All of them are composed of different blocks and clearly explained in the specification. For example, the example can be assembled from blocks FP.12.P.629A.U12 where encrypted type, size, voltage, controller, operating temperature range, and other information about the model. And the last block of the most cunning. It may have a few tens of values ​​each of which indicates a particular combination of characteristics such as availability and highlight color, background color, character color, a range of degrees from which information is read clearly. That's just me, these parameters were interesting.

As a result, "the sample" I ordered 18 of various modifications. Manufacturer agreed, but said that the minimum order - 5 displays for each modification. I had nowhere to go, and I had to agree, knowing that 90% will go into the garbage. And then one of the cloudy days express delivery service brought me home a huge box in which to live homeless medium build. The box was 18 smaller boxes, each of which is freely housed 5 displeychike securely fixed to distal travel in cold Russia. Accompanying the package was so much that the mother-in enough to hide a few beds for the winter. As a result, after thorough tests on a specially assembled the stand, fit for the series were two displays. They differ only background: gray and yellow-green. It is their I will offer to complete the mouse. By default, I plan to become yellow-green, but will be available two more choices: display with a gray background and the mouse does not display.

But the main intrigue was the kind of information can be displayed on a small screen? I was offered a different idea: the ambient temperature, the display of letters arrival, something not very original.

My train of thought was going the other way. To begin with, there are two significant limitations on the display of operational information: the presence in front of the user and the enormous quality source of any information (monitor) and the need to turn the mouse to obtain information. In addition, the screen is small, the resolution is small, light-emitting diode prevents the normal reading. Therefore, the conclusion I've got one: the information should be just for entertainment purposes, an application value which tends to zero, but the WOW-effect to be killer!.

What kind of information can be of such a nature in the ordinary complexity of the device? Its a bit: run, use of time, movement speed, the number of clicks and scroll wheel. The latter option, I decided to give up, because I thought he was uninteresting. The rest of all the parameters are anchored to the session (the last time the mouse use from the moment the power supply is, t. E. The connection to the computer or turn the computer itself) and the entire lifetime of the mouse. For example, the user may at any time, click to find out how many times he clicked the left mouse button or mouse as it ran in meters per day or from the time of its purchase. The information is absolutely useless, but very interesting clues as to how much he racked mouse. If there are other interesting ideas, they can be implemented the new firmware. Also added general information on the mouse (model number and click Firmware, the month of manufacture) and the small screen settings. You can select the language and system of measures (Metric or English). To store all this information had to be added to the scheme of flash-memory persistence.

To put this amount of information, I had to break all the screens. Each screen displays one type of information, and displays the settings for the session and for all time. A total of six screens, which change with the mouse wheel.

The first option was implemented in clear text key, which even more font options have been developed.

Did firmware to evaluate how text looks using a font created in the mouse small screen. It looks terrible to say.

Now, it has become apparent that the small screen is needed schedule, rather than a set of character information. So I attracted to the work of the designer, and together we have prepared three variants of graphical performance, as a result of the most successful has been recognized as the second option.

Of course, such a design require higher resolution, so it had to be adapted.

But this is not the end of history. Once picked up the small screen for the mouse, I made an order for the test batch maketok. In the end, came the small screen, but for some reason, the number of findings which differ from that indicated in (datasheet) specification. At the request of the manufacturer came the answer, that, well, it's okay, it's a small modification, and it will not affect performance. Meanwhile, missing two conductor responsible for the brightness displayed graphics.

It was all very suspicious. And just as the water looked. Altered payment under the modified screen is soldered, and then it turned out that the screen is very dim. As if the device batteries are exhausted. And it turned out after a long and hard work on search and selection screen is, the purchase of a trial lot of modifications and testing. Time, money, and so on. But the story turned out to be a good ending. After correspondence with the Chinese, it became clear that the small screen can now adjust their contrast directly from the firmware. Podlechil firmware, and everything was just wonderful show!

All displayed as planned: the mileage, speed, number of clicks and so on.

Later firmware also repeatedly changed: there was a setting to change the language. Two languages ​​on the same screen is bad - worsens the readability, the English-language user Cyrillic abracadabra will only irritate, and in the future may need to support other languages. Difficulties began when I tried to align the mouse run. It seems that there is a complex: the optical sensor transmits an increment of two coordinates, which is necessary to bring the system up and add on module to the current value. That's the whole run.

But, as it turned out, not so simple. Two people with mice, which are set to the same sensor can get dramatically different results! The thing is that the resolution of the sensor's ability (sensitivity) depends strongly on the surface on which rides a mouse. The best result is obtained when the mouse rolls on the white paper. Slightly worse than wood and fabric. According to the laminate and the film really bad. Claimed passport sensitivity can only be achieved on the ideal, with the sensor point of view, surfaces.

For the end user this makes no difference. He connects the mouse and by trial and error exposes a comfortable speed of movement of the cursor in the operating system. The system stores this ratio and uses it to increase or decrease the increment of movement coordinate values.

But it is quite another matter if your intention is to read these parameters directly with the mouse. Mouse on one surface of the path will result one meter, on the other - a half. Speed ​​also will be a "lie." And with that something must be done. To solve this problem had to introduce the "discreteness (Sensitivity)", which allows to individually pick coefficient for each surface. By default, it is equal to one, which corresponds to the surface of the white paper. It can be configured both increase and decrease. It is possible not to touch, everything will work fine, and so. But for true perfectionists in a mouse attached to the leaflet will be given to the table from which you can choose the ratio to the existing surface, and instructions on how you can manually configure the mouse to display the exact path.

In developing the firmware discovered another side effect of the sensor works. If you take the mouse and just waved it in the air, then run readings will also vary. This is due to the fact that the sensor detects the surrounding area as a kind of surface, and also tries to obtain the values ​​of the mouse movement. Therefore it is possible to observe such an effect: you turn the mouse, looking at the run parameters and wonder what they have in front of your eyes change in a big way. Of course, you can set the mouse angle sensor that disables the sensor at the time of its revolution, but do so only for the described situation is unreasonable. Maybe in the next version and it will, but not now. After the mouse is raised only to look at the figures, and 99, 9% of the time it is on the surface and get the correct information.

cable

Cable decided to make as flexible as possible so that it does not interfere with movement of the mouse was "invisible" to the kinematics. Well personally I do not like "spring" cable.

Sometimes it seems that when you create a product cable - the most insignificant part of the product. Easy - to buy in the store right amount of cable and unsolder it. A trifling matter. But, alas, not in Russia. Sometimes it seems that our industry has not been adapted to do anything more complicated iron irons. Attempts to find a cable resulted in a three-week search and shaking up the assortment of absolutely all Russian producers of cable products. It turned out that our standards do not describe the cable suitable to modern electronic devices. For example, a four-core cable microphone braided CMM 4h0.12 mm2 has an outer diameter of 5 mm. That's a lot. Older mice and keyboards have an apparent thick cable, the outer diameter of which is only 3 to 5 mm. The closest analogue of commercially available cable was the German company Lapp Kabel, but also had an outer diameter just stood 3 to 5 mm. Now imagine even braid on this cable. Presented? I'll tell you what I have seen such a cable on the power cord for irons So, it turned out that in Russia such a cable is not buy. Point. Well, we are not accustomed to retreat. Go to production and try to book, the benefit of another cable is done in Russia. And for this define my requirements. So, what I need:

Conductors - copper, made of braided wires (for flexibility).

Number of cores - 4.

Screen - yes.

Flexibility - maximum.

The external diameter - strictly less than 3 mm.

Color - Pantone 4625C.

Outcome: trying to get in touch, perhaps a dozen possible cable manufacturers, nobody wants to mess with my order. Do not even ask what mileage I need. The result: in Russia, such a cable is not buy and do not produce. Sad. But we are not accustomed to retreat.

I go on Alibaba.com. Find first got the Chinese manufacturer, write a letter and within a few hours of receiving the answer: do any cable for you! I'm shocked. I throw him a specification, cash on delivery, and get a sample of a week. Wow! I lost nearly three months, trying to place an order in the patriotic Russian. It turned out that the Chinese are perfectly calm can make me a cable with an outer diameter of 2 to 5 mm.

As a result, I ordered in China 4 different sample. First, not arranged tsarapaemost haze and outer shell and then not arranged flexibility of the cable, and then again not arranged flexibility and eventually stopped the sent the last sample that was ready to be ordered. they are not flexible. The cable has a memory. As a result, accidentally received with memory cable, although like most flexible as a rope

Ordered kilometer, two weeks later I had cable. Total time spent: six months.

a kilometer braided cable. Got two options.

Approximately 10% of cable left on culling. This is the beginning coves where spliced ​​braid and the machine has not yet entered into operation. And some of the places where, for whatever reason, have formed loops and knots of braided strands. If the cable end is not repaired shrinking, it is the time to fluff and threads a synthetic! Therefore, the installation of the cable assembly is hampered preventive attachment shrinking.

The outer diameter of the cable braid turned with 3, 2 mm t. E. Braid added to the cable diameter 0, 7 mm. It seems little, but a conventional mouse cable is mainly with a diameter of 3, 5 mm, and it is in the era of wireless mice seem thick and heavy. In recent years, not fiscal mouse began to be equipped with cables with a diameter of 3 mm, and they are not so interfere with the work, they are almost imperceptible. But keyboard cable may be an external diameter of 4 mm. And even more. But this is not important for the keyboard.

Next I ordered cable assembly. Cable have two different lengths and two colors braid. That is to say, to any taste of the consumer.

Plastic parts

As much as I wanted to make housing part of the mouse is completely made of wood, but without the plastic can not do. We need legs, the axis of the wheel, a support axis and a piece of glass for display.

So we had to order a mold from the Chinese.

After each test castings Chinese sent me a dozen samples, which I tested on my mouse.

As a result, three times I have modified the mold, as long as the quality did not satisfy me. The problems were different. For example, after the assembly, I got the problem of dust, which is formed between the display and protective glass. It looks untidy. Especially the mouse will scrape across the surface and dust it will gradually accumulate. It was necessary to convert a piece of glass in a container with walls in which to invest the display, after which the loop is sealed.

The result is such Circuits.

Further development of mold - quite a challenge, and changes may be made only in the direction of increasing detail. Therefore, any inaccuracy or mistake can ruin all the work. For reference: the completion of each - a half months of waiting for new samples. A change itself might be microscopic, but necessary.

I will not dwell on plastic parts, this technology is now leading, and anything new and interesting I'm here to tell you I can not. Let me just say on the legs, for which I have long selected the material with low friction, and then conducted tests and "races" of mice in order to determine the winner with a minimum of friction.

Treatment and coating

Initially, there is a thorough work with the removal of the pile, sanding and polishing the surface.

In front of me was a difficult task. It was necessary to stabilize the tree to the geometry of the mouse has not changed depending on humidity and protect the wood from the work in hostile environments (sweat and grease from his hands).

From the very beginning refused to varnish. Lac - a surface film, which eventually bursts, collapses, and the tree is bare. Sweat and fat to penetrate into the pores, dark wood, and start an irreversible process of degradation. It was therefore decided to use oil as impregnation and protection, and the wax to impart commercial type.

To make it clear: wood permeated the pores, which contain either air or oil of the tree (if the rubber plant a tree). Our task - as much as possible to fill the pores of its oil, which is then to be polymerized, and to protect the tree.

In order not to stretch the story, I will say that the tried many oils: linseed oil, teak oil, tung oil, vaseline, Danish. Each oil has its own character. For example, on teak oil is very bad applied wax, linseed oil and very long polymerized. Therefore it is necessary to introduce the catalyst into it - drier.

As a result, I have developed two technologies. The first - the technology of vacuum impregnation of wood. It works like this: I create in an environment with oil and wood vacuum. From then it starts to leave the air. After removing the vacuum pores are filled with oil. As a plus - the tree was good stabilized. As a minus - it is much darker. It looks good, but not for everybody.

The second technology - a surface coating with oil. Oil is applied 1-2 times or more non-woven cloth.

Then process the felt circle.

Draw carnauba wax.

And rub the muslin circle.

Then use a hair dryer assembly "dissolve" dried wax residues in narrow and difficult places. In the case of "insoluble" garbage pick up a toothbrush with hard bristles, remove the debris and then again locally repeat the wax coating process.

If we evaluate the effort of processing, the manual labor per mouse turns around four hours.

assembly

Next comes the installation operation, but before it is necessary to further processing to remove the traces of the technological holes. Then, using a special 3M tape is aligned and paste the legs (the body can lead to fractions of a millimeter, and it will be immediately noticeable: he will stagger like a lame stool). Then I lay the cable, mount board, a support, install the wheel, and, if necessary, is aligned button (no bouncing), and pushing force. This operation may also take up to four hours.