The computer mouse is one of the most important accessories ever invented, one that essentially carried in a new wave of electronic interaction when it was first released. But what if we went further, like YouTuber Electronic Grenade, who has done the seemingly impossible: built a mouse that not only can control a computer, but in fact is a fully functional computer on its own, complete with a built-in screen and keyboard (via Motherboard).
The ‘Computer’ Mouse is a mouse that is also a fully functional computer
The mouse is a computer, but also still works as a mouse for that computer
The mouse is a computer, but also still works as a mouse for that computer
As Electronic Grenade details, the computer-mouse is a custom-designed 3D-printed mouse case that houses a Raspberry Pi Zero W (of course), along with sensors cannibalized from a separate mouse. But what makes it truly impressive is the 1.5-inch OLED display mounted on the top, along with tiny pop-out Bluetooth keyboard that turns it from “cute Raspberry Pi case” into “actual, fully functional computer.”
The finished product is a bit bulkier than a traditional mouse, which is to be expected, but taken as a whole it’s still a pretty impressive endeavor. And despite the hacked-together nature, since it runs off a Raspberry Pi Zero, it should still be able to run whatever you’d normally use the diminutive PC for — even Minecraft (for about 15 seconds, anyway, until it froze).
Electronic Grenade is promising a build video sometime soon that’ll detail the process, should you want to build one for yourself, but in the meantime we’ll just have to admire their existing computer-mouse from afar.
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