The assignment for this project was to build something that takes an existing input (a keyboard, a mouse, a kinect, a web browser) and do something with it that the engineers who made it never originally intended.
Our group chose to work with optical computer mice. We were intrigued by the light on the bottom and tested different ways to manipulate it and capitalize on its ability to track proximity.
We tested different ways to initiate atypical interactions with the mice–we turned them upside down, covered them with semi-opaque materials, and hung them in a bundle.
We then experimented with capturing the inputs from multiple mice on a single computer and within a single application.
Ultimately, we decided to focus on the aesthetic qualities of the optical light, rather than its utility as a functional feature. We designed a platform with reflective material on which we mounted five mice.
The mice were all connected to a Processing sketch that had five “fountains.” The input of each mouse was mapped to a fountain in its corresponding location, from left to right across the bottom of the screen. Each click triggered a fountain to spewed red particles on the screen that echoed the visual qualities of a beam of light.
