{sidebar id=3}{sidebar id=1}We continually move in the direction of automated technology, less working parts, and an increasing reliance on touch sensitive electronics.  In 2005 and 2006, Apple launched a revolutionary device called the Mighty Mouse, which can control the mouse without any working parts. The buttons are controlled by touch sensitive sensors that eliminate the need for micro-switches used in traditional button clicking.

The Mighty Mouse also features a 30-foot wireless range meaning no cords, the ability to squeeze the mouse for additional functions, and an extremely precise laser. However, the Mac-only mouse is still restricted by the DPI of the laser.

Although, this particular mouse has made a lot of headway into the realm of advanced technology, mice are only as strong as their laser, unless, you can remove the laser completely.

Traditionally, the only way to remove the laser is with some sort of mechanical roller but technology has been moving away from using some of these as they get cluttered, dirty, and oily, which begins to make the mouse inoperable.

Until now

The Apple Insider has revealed what may be the next step in the evolution of mice, as we know them.  The "mightier mouse" could be the first mouse without a laser or mechanized roller ball.

Apple proposes a combination between a mouse and a touchpad from an iMac.

"Given Apple's patented "inertia feedback" used on the iPod and iPhone, where item lists bounce when reaching the top or bottom and scrolling speeds accelerate in response to how the user touches the surface, the next Apple mouse is similarly expected to wed new hardware with sophisticated software to deliver an intuitive new feel...," says the article.

The idea would be that instead of actually moving the mouse, you would be able to touch the mouse and put pressure in the direction you would normally move the mouse.  This would be an exceptional achievement in the evolution of mice.  Although, many people have already pointed out flaws in the idea, such as an oily build up along the sensors and the speed at which these mice eat batteries.

Nevertheless, the mouse has come a long way from its early days.

Image courtesy of Apple Insider

Undoubtedly, the mouse will continue to evolve at a steady and ever progressing rate. But, what does that mean for the disabled?

Although, everything is speculation, the current thought is that a mouse, which could be positioned anywhere the user may need it to be, would be a step in the right direction for accessibility.

The sensitivity could theoretically be lowered to the point that touches even lighter then a 2 mg switch, the current lightest touch switch known to man, could enable the mouse for those with mobility impairments that currently either do not have the strength or just barely have the strength to move the mouse in a traditional sense.

This is of course theoretical and we will have to wait to see whether this mouse even comes into existence, and if it is truly disabled friendly. Some naysayers believe that it may be more difficult to control the weight of one's own hand pressing on the sensors than it is to move a traditional mouse.