Orbit Mouse

What it does

The orbit mouse prevents and counteracts musculoskeletal disorders caused by repetitive motions during PC work. It incorporates strengthening exercises via resistance bands into the work itself and provides a constant workout during long periods of sitting.

Your inspiration

Regular PC work is the number one cause for repetitive strain injuries, causing a variety of musculoskeletal disorders, especially in the shoulder, forearm and wrist region. Today, 1/4 of regular computer users are reporting hand discomfort, 90% of which are caused by „mouse arm“. These numbers relate to over 500 million people worldwide under pain working with their PC mouse, with cases increasing dramatically every year. Furthermore, the lack of exercise during PC work is often related to poor posture and obesity, which represents a massive impairment of life quality.

How it works

The orbit mouse incorporates an effective prevention and strengthening exercise for repetitive strain injuries naturally into the work itself, with 3 resistance bands pulling towards the center. This automatically shifts the input of the user to other muscle groups, specifically the latissimus dorsi, the main muscle required for an upright posture and a healthy shoulder and back area. The joystick version keeps the arm in it‘s natural resting position, minimizing stress and making it easy and comfortable to use, irrespective of your hand size. The touch-sensitive ring on the top eliminates the traditional scroll wheel and can be turned without having to stop, further reducing stress on the wrists. The flat version is specifically made for gamers and fast movement. It naturally adapts to the shape of the hand and features touch controls on the surface to minimize the impact of clicking.

Design process

Throughout the project I worked closely with a group of renowned Austrian orthopedists and physiotherapists and analyzed a variety of treatment methods. The data indicates that the majority of chronic RSI problems are not due to overuse, but rather a lack of movement and poor posture, resulting in a shortening of the muscles and tendons. The combination of internal and external rotation, push and pull exercises via resistance bands has proven to be a great benefit among physiotherapists. Working with a PC mouse, the user constantly performs these movements, but with a lack of resistance the human body tends to get lazy and falls into a state of minimal effort, usually creating a slouched back, resulting in the user mainly relying on his wrist and forearm muscles for control. After experimenting with a variety of resistance band setups and form-models, I finally introduced the first prototypes to a group of regular PC workers and gamers, who suffered from various RSI problems and/or carpal-tunnel syndrome. The combination of the joystick and resistance bands showed a significant improvement in posture and muscle use within the first days. 18 out of the 30 participants reported a pain relief after the first two weeks, with 25 pain free after just four weeks of usage.

How it is different

While there are many „ergonomic“ alternatives, like vertical mice, they are only shifting the problem to other areas, with none of them targeting the muscle groups naturally made for this type of movement. The shape of traditional computer mice and the horizontal postion of the wrists keeps the forearm muscles in a twisted position, putting a lot of stress on the joints, tendons and carpal-tunnel. The orbit mouse keeps the arm in it‘s natural resting position and is the first solution yet to incorporate a prevention and strengthening exercise into the work itself, without compromises in functionality. It is also the first to give a physical feetback on the position of the mouse, allowing the user to create a mental map of it‘s center and giving an enormous advantage in precision while aiming during gaming, CAD work etc. This further reduces the amount of micro-adjustments needed for control.

Future plans

The orbit mouse is intended to go into production and finally offer a solution for the pain of millions of people during their work. The first functional prototype is already in the making. The next step will be to find a licensing-partner and investors for production.

Awards