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?
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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.
When you lift the mouse, the image of the surface is no longer in focus. The sensor is a camera with some postprocessing to extract the motion. The lens is focused where the surface is during normal use.
The users that care about lift off distance generally want it to be as low as possible.
Lets say you’re moving the mouse left and hit the edge of the mousepad, You want to keep moving left, so you lift the mouse, move it to where you have more room, and continue. You don’t want the cursor to move while the mouse is in the air.
When you lift the mouse, the image of the surface is no longer in focus. The sensor is a camera with some postprocessing to extract the motion. The lens is focused where the surface is during normal use.
The users that care about lift off distance generally want it to be as low as possible.
Lets say you’re moving the mouse left and hit the edge of the mousepad, You want to keep moving left, so you lift the mouse, move it to where you have more room, and continue. You don’t want the cursor to move while the mouse is in the air.
the optics on the bottom need to be able to see & track tiny variations on the table surface. it has to have good optical focus on the surface in order to see these variations. the optics are generally simple and cannot re-focus when you change the distance like a camera can.
the optics on the bottom need to be able to see & track tiny variations on the table surface. it has to have good optical focus on the surface in order to see these variations. the optics are generally simple and cannot re-focus when you change the distance like a camera can.
the optics on the bottom need to be able to see & track tiny variations on the table surface. it has to have good optical focus on the surface in order to see these variations. the optics are generally simple and cannot re-focus when you change the distance like a camera can.
When you lift the mouse, the image of the surface is no longer in focus. The sensor is a camera with some postprocessing to extract the motion. The lens is focused where the surface is during normal use.
The users that care about lift off distance generally want it to be as low as possible.
Lets say you’re moving the mouse left and hit the edge of the mousepad, You want to keep moving left, so you lift the mouse, move it to where you have more room, and continue. You don’t want the cursor to move while the mouse is in the air.
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