Saying Goodbye to the Mouse

We’ve already had a taste of mouse-free computing. Touchscreens on our smartphones and tablets allow us to search the Internet, compose e-mail messages, send texts, and stream movies, all without using a mouse. So what on earth do you think this will lead us to in the future? How will we interact with our computers in the coming decades? Once we ditch the mouse, what comes next?

Gesture sensing

Gesture sensing is something most gamers understand. The PlayStation and Wii both make use of this technology. By using a wireless remote you can control the game using only body movements. This technology has not been perfected or widely applied to computing but think about the possibilities. Perhaps in the foreseeable future we will boot our computer by putting on a sensor bracelet and each and every little gesture we make will perform a task on our computer!

Multi-touch technology

Multi-touch technology is the one other interactive innovation that is being employed in a few common devices, namely, tablets, e-readers, and smartphones. This technology allows users to tap icons to open program, pinch or extend their fingers to zoom or minimize the pictures on their screens. Because this is a relatively new technology it’s still being refined. How do you think this will be utilized down the road to allow us easier navigation around our computers?

Voice recognition

This technology has been with us for quite a while but has had lots of kinks. As these get resolved, it will continue to gain popularity. This technology allows people to simply speak commands to their computer to complete them. The most prevalent vendor for vocal recognition software is Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Once this technology is refined the possibilities for its use in computing are endless.

While there are lots of ways computing can be improved through hands free navigation technologies. It’s likely we will not see the tried and true mouse disappear for a long time.