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Mouse Car

Control your cursor from the comfort of your own car.
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Install a sort of fifth wheel underneath your car, in the middle, but instead of wheel-shaped, it is entirely spherical, and able to move freely. Hook this ball up to, for instance, a laptop computer inside the car, and control the on-screen cursor by driving around a vast, empty, more or less level field. If you are concerned about keeping your eyes on the road, paint the field to look like your desktop. "Clicking" the mouse can be done through something similar to a direction indicator.

You can also make your own roadmaps by opening Paint and driving around town.

A similar effect could be achieved by means of laser technology or a global positioning system, though this would take away the visual effect of having a giant trackball beneath your car.

(My apologies if it is considered poor form to register and launch an idea from the blue instead of starting out with annotations.)

SodaBeam, Mar 04 2011

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       //My apologies if it is considered poor form to register and launch an idea from the blue instead of starting out with annotations//   

       I did the same thing, and didn't get flamed for it. Welcome to the 'bakery!
Wrongfellow, Mar 04 2011
  

       Great idea. How big would this ball be?
pocmloc, Mar 04 2011
  

       It could be fairly small (smaller than a regular car wheel) if you want to be practical, but a giant, gleaming red ball that protrudes into the car's inside is probably more interesting to look at. A larger ball also means that the car has a longer way to travel for one pixel of movement (although this also depends on how you calibrate it I guess), resulting in more precise control.
SodaBeam, Mar 04 2011
  

       bumper car of the 21st century
FlyingToaster, Mar 04 2011
  

       //giant, gleaming red ball that protrudes into the car's inside is probably more interesting to look at//   

       +
DenholmRicshaw, Mar 04 2011
  

       + very cute! yes, welcome and I, too, posted before I ever anno-ed!!
xandram, Mar 04 2011
  

       I posted first too... does that mean I got it wrong and should start all over again?
xenzag, Mar 04 2011
  


 

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