Daruma Mouse
Daruma dolls are popular in Japan.
What are Daruma dolls? I’m sure you’ve seen it… it’s an egg shaped, usually red figurine made of paper, and has the visage of a mean, old dude with white, blank eyes.
Generally, one draws in the eye with black ink when one makes a wish, and when and if that wish ever comes true, one would fill in the other eye. Then… actually, I have no idea what happens after that. I suppose you keep it around forever, lest throwing it away also throws away your wish that came true.
The word “Daruma” apparently derives from the word “Bodhidharma”, the founder and patriarch of Zen Buddhism.
At any rate, At Rakuten, one can now buy a daruma doll mouse.
What’s unique about this mouse is the fact that one operates it by tilting the daruma doll on its Y-axis (Z-axis, if you’re a 3DS Max user). Clicking and scrolling is accomplished via four buttons on its back, and according to the website about 10 minutes practice fondling and tilting the creepy doll will allow one to get comfortable enough with the new way of pointing one’s cursor on computer screen.
Custom made and hand painted, get yours for 9,700 yen or about USD $79.
Even comes with a kickass wooden case.
Source: Red Ferret Journal
July 12th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Interesting concept.
I like my mouse the way it is, though: small and compact o_o.