Few gadgets are as iconic as computer mice. This has been a staple of desktop PCs since its appearance about 60 years ago.
This design has experienced a variety of evolutions, from trackballs to lasers, wireless, wireless and various ergonomic redesigns to improve comfort and reduce the risk of wrist tension. Still, the basic form factors have remained largely recognizable up until now.
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Both were designed to reduce wrist movements associated with repeated strain damage (RSI), and researchers argued that they were not resolved by existing ergonomic designs such as tilted grips and trackballs sitting under their fingers.
“The main reason for this propagation of this strain from the mouse hand to other parts of the body is that the mouse needs to be repositioned (lifted) hundreds of times per hour, such as when the user tries to reach the corner of the screen. As all mouse users are used to it, they need to move their wrists to lift the mouse. Issued in Journal ACM Interaction 2025.
Related: Computer History: Short Timeline
The researchers said that a common cause of damage and discomfort when using mice is the fact that most designs still have a stiff outer shell.
Even in the 1970s, when softer materials such as rubber and silicon began to appear in the grips of tools such as hammers and screwdrivers, mice continued to be made with stiff casings.
“In our opinion, the effectiveness of ergonomic devices can be greatly improved when the mouse design takes into account that the user’s hands are not rigid. The overwhelming majority of hand tools used by humans – keyboards, pencils, hammers, drivers, mice are rigid because of the economy and need.
“Advances in 3D printing, popularity of soft robotics [and] Other trends such as flexible electronics allow us to build consumer electronics that are compliant with our bodies. ”
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FlexImouse and A-frames
The researcher’s first prototype, known as the Fleximouse, features a flexible mesh body that responds to being squeezed. This means that the user can move the cursor by changing the grip rather than moving the device to the surface.
Meanwhile, the A-frame design was developed in collaboration with the Melbourne Design School in Australia. It provides a more natural grip and is built with fewer moving parts. In other words, they don’t tend to wear it. It also prevents the two bones of the forearm (radius and ulna) from crossing at all times, just as when the hand is lying flat, identified as the main cause of wrist tension.
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The two designs were tested by 28 students from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Many of them were gamers and frequent mouse users. Of these users, 11 previously reported chronic discomfort as a result of increased mouse use, while four were clinically diagnosed with RSI.
Feedback was mixed. Some participants described Fleximouse as playful and appreciated the need to frequently reposition their wrists, while others missed familiar features like the scroll wheel. The A-frame mouse raised the issue of fit, and researchers found that even small differences in hand size influenced how the grip felt comfortable and naturally. That said, both prototypes “have significantly reduced wrist repositioning.” This was recognized as an important contributor to discomfort.
Researchers said future work will explore ways to fine-tune flexible designs, including ways to fit the user’s hands or make them easier to adjust.
“The idea of personalizing and personalizing a computer mouse like clothing seems like it’s now closer to reality,” they said in their research.
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