The Raspberry Pi Zero may be small, but it’s one of the most versatile computers on the market for tinkerers and tech enthusiasts alike. Maker and YouTuber Electronic Grenade has pushed the envelope even further on what is possible with the miniature device, managing to combine the Zero with its peripherals into what has been deemed the Computer Mouse. That’s right, it’s a computer mouse that is itself a full-fledged computer.
We’ve seen the Raspberry Pi family of devices used for some pretty unique projects in the past. Recently we walked through how they can be used as an AirPlay receiver. But that’s nothing compared to Electronic Grenade‘s latest project. The Computer Mouse combines a keyboard, mouse and full computer into a hand-held design that may be one of the smallest to date.
Electronic Grenade started by adding an optical sensor and scroll wheel from a cannibalizing a mouse to their design. It rocks a 1.5-inch OLED display. The Computer Mouse also manages to integrate a full QWERTY keyboard, which pops out from the bottom of the casing. In order to accommodate all of the internal components, the final design is a bit larger than your standard mouse. That’s not to say that the device is large by any means, as it’s still impressively small compared to other all-in-one computers.
It can be thought of as a different take on a traditional laptop design; everything you need to use the computer is baked right into the 3D printed casing. But taking the form of a computer mouse, there are a few notable tradeoffs that the creator had to make.
Typing while looking at the screen is actually a bit difficult, given that the keyboard slides out at a 90-degree angle. Boot times won’t be anything close to snappy either. Even so, the Computer Mouse can still browse the web and even run games like Minecraft. And while it may not be the most luxurious computing experience out there, it is definitely one of the more unique takes on a Raspberry Pi-based computer that we’ve seen so far.
Luckily, those looking to adorn their desk with their own version of the Computer Mouse are in luck, because Electronic Grenade plans on releasing a build video in the new future.
I can’t actually think of a use case for the miniature computer and while practicality may not be the Computer Mouse’s strong suit, that’s fine. What it lacks in the utility department, it makes up for several times over in creativity.
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