Editing Computer mouse (section)

==== Elastic 3D mice ====
At DLR an elastic 6DoF sensor was developed that was used in Logitech's SpaceMouse and in the products of [[3Dconnexion|3DConnexion]]. SpaceBall 4000 FLX has a maximum deflection of approximately {{cvt|3|mm}} at a maximum force of approximately 10N, that is, a stiffness of approximately {{cvt|33|N/cm}}. SpaceMouse has a maximum deflection of {{cvt|1.5|mm}} at a maximum force of {{cvt|4.4|N}}, that is, a stiffness of approximately {{cvt|30|N/cm}}. Taking this development further, the softly elastic Sundinlabs SpaceCat was developed. SpaceCat has a maximum translational deflection of approximately {{cvt|15|mm}} and maximum rotational deflection of approximately 30° at a maximum force less than 2N, that is, a stiffness of approximately {{cvt|1.3|N/cm}}. With SpaceCat [https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Softly-Elastic-6-DOF-Input-Sundin-Fjeld/e2056bb1bcf701c424ee95d48f0605c58b6197cf Sundin and Fjeld] reviewed five comparative experiments performed with different device stiffness and transfer functions and performed a further study comparing 6DoF softly elastic position control with 6DoF stiffly elastic velocity control in a positioning task. They concluded that for positioning tasks position control is to be preferred over velocity control. They could further conjecture the following two types of preferred 3D mouse usage:

* Positioning, manipulation, and docking using isotonic or softly elastic position control and an object-in-hand metaphor.
* Navigation using softly or stiffly elastic rate control and a camera-in-hand metaphor.

[[3Dconnexion|3DConnexion]]'s 3D mice have been commercially successful over decades. They are used in combination with the conventional mouse for [[CAD]]. The Space Mouse is used to orient the target object or change the viewpoint with the non-dominant hand, whereas the dominant hand operates the computer mouse for conventional CAD [[Graphical user interface|GUI]] operation. This is a kind of space-multiplexed input where the 6 DoF input device acts as a graspable user interface that is always connected to the view port.

{{Cleanup section|reason=conflation of devices that you wave around above the desk with devices that remain on the desk while you apply forces and torques to them.|date=April 2020}}