Who Invented the Computer Mouse?

Are you curious about the history of computers, and have you wondered who invented the computer mouse? A computer mouse is a device that operates by identifying two dimensional motions on its supporting service. The mouse usually consists of a two buttons and a scroll wheel, although different versions may have more buttons. Yet, what is the history behind the computer mouse, and who invented the computer mouse?

In 1963, Douglas Engelbart invented the first mouse prototype. He worked at Stanford Research Institute, and he developed the mouse prototype with one of his colleagues, Bill English.

Engelbart developed the idea, but Bill English was responsible for actually building the mouse. The mouse earned its name because of its appearance. The long wire that extended out the back of the device looked like a tail. The smaller size of the device with the tail that extended out of it reminded users of a mouse. Thus, the device was named “mouse.”

Engelbart's Projects

The mouse was actually only a small part of Engelbart’s larger project. His larger project concentrated on increasing human intellect. In 1972, Bill English improved on the Engelbart version and created the ball mouse.

The ball mouse improved upon the original invention. The external wheels of the mouse were replaced with a singular ball. This singular ball had the ability to rotate in any direction, which made the mouse more convenient for users.

Inside the mouse, the design uses two rollers that roll against the two alternate sides of the ball. One roller is used to detect the forward-backward motion of the mouse, and the other roller is used to detect the left-right motion of the mouse.

The signals are then sent to the computer through the wire that comes out the back of the mouse. This ball mouse was the predominant model that was used with personal computer throughout the late eighties and the nineties.

Adding Buttons

The first mouse only had a singular button. This was the mouse that was created by Engelbart. The next version of the mouse had three buttons, but this was soon reduced to two buttons.

In 1984, Macintosh reintroduced the mouse that only had one button to the market. However, users preferred the mouse with two buttons. Thus, the mouse with two buttons held the greatest amount of market share in the late eighties and early nineties. On many two button mice, however, there will often be a scroll button in between the buttons.

Other Types of Mouse Devices

Since the creation of the ball mouse, there have been numerous other types of devices that have been created. The SpaceMouse, a type of 3D mouse, was created in the early nineties by the company Logitech. The 3D mice usually use ultrasound to move, and provide three different degrees of freedom.

Recently, Wii released their own 3D mouse called the Wii Remote. The Wii remote can determine its orientation and direction of movement, as well as detect its spatial position. In 2008, the company Motion4U launched a 3D mouse add-on that was called the OptiBurst. This additional feature lets users work with six degrees of freedom. This means that the mouse moves with natural and organic movement.

Optical Mice

The optical mouse was created in the nineties. These mice differ from mechanical mice because optical mice do not have any rolling parts within them. However, these mice usually use more power than mechanical mice.

On the other hand, optical mice have definite advantages. Optical mice tend to outperform mechanical mice on certain surfaces, such as uneven surfaces, slick surfaces, soft surfaces, and even sticky surfaces. This is particularly important if you do not have a mouse pad. In operation, optical mice use an image that the infrared diode illuminates to properly move. This image detects movement underneath it.

Thus, now that you know the history behind the computer mouse, who invented the computer mouse, and some of the different types, you can truly appreciate this technology!