Here is how I understand the mechanic of the optical mouse. An optical mouse uses an optical part (LED or infrared light) to capture the surface beneath. It does this process multiple times per second, then calculates how far and fast it has moved and finally transforms to a coordinate of the cursor on the screen. But why it cannot work if I lift the mouse up and move along (not touch) a surface? Is it hard to process the images in that way or is it not friendly to users?
In: 0
The farther from the surface you are, the more spread out the LED/light gets, and the harder it is for the mouse to interpret the information it’s getting back. Eventually, you reach a point where the mouse can’t tell if it’s moving or not.
An optical mouse has a sensor that reads a picture of what’s underneath. Sensor has a lense that focuses light in a way so that the image is focused when the mouse lays flat on the table. Lift the mouse – lose focus and get an blurry mess on the sensor.
An optical mouse has a sensor that reads a picture of what’s underneath. Sensor has a lense that focuses light in a way so that the image is focused when the mouse lays flat on the table. Lift the mouse – lose focus and get an blurry mess on the sensor.
The farther from the surface you are, the more spread out the LED/light gets, and the harder it is for the mouse to interpret the information it’s getting back. Eventually, you reach a point where the mouse can’t tell if it’s moving or not.
The farther from the surface you are, the more spread out the LED/light gets, and the harder it is for the mouse to interpret the information it’s getting back. Eventually, you reach a point where the mouse can’t tell if it’s moving or not.
If you’ve ever used any kind of lens (perhaps in corrective eye wear, binoculars, cameras, telescopes, magnifying glasses, or microscopes) you will find out that only things located a very specific distance away will ever be “in focus” at any given time. To focus what you see through the lens, you have to tinker with the distance between the thing being looked at, the lens, and the “eye”.
An optical computer mouse contains a lens that’s carefully calibrated so that a flat surface directly underneath the mouse is in focus. Changing where the table is relative to the mouse (i.e. moving it farther away from the table) makes everything out of focus, and it stops being able to see anything clearly.
Not only does and optical mouse need to sit flat on a surface, but the surface needs optical irregularities (color or texture) to create regular variances in illumination that trigger the sensor.
An optical mouse has a sensor that reads a picture of what’s underneath. Sensor has a lense that focuses light in a way so that the image is focused when the mouse lays flat on the table. Lift the mouse – lose focus and get an blurry mess on the sensor.
Not only does and optical mouse need to sit flat on a surface, but the surface needs optical irregularities (color or texture) to create regular variances in illumination that trigger the sensor.
If you’ve ever used any kind of lens (perhaps in corrective eye wear, binoculars, cameras, telescopes, magnifying glasses, or microscopes) you will find out that only things located a very specific distance away will ever be “in focus” at any given time. To focus what you see through the lens, you have to tinker with the distance between the thing being looked at, the lens, and the “eye”.
An optical computer mouse contains a lens that’s carefully calibrated so that a flat surface directly underneath the mouse is in focus. Changing where the table is relative to the mouse (i.e. moving it farther away from the table) makes everything out of focus, and it stops being able to see anything clearly.
Latest Answers