Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!news.Brown.EDU!agate!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!munnari.oz.au!hippo.ru.ac.za!iwr5.ru.ac.za!david
From: david@iwr.ru.ac.za (David Alan Forsyth)
Subject: robot mouse (desktop)
Message-ID: <david.40.761996276@iwr.ru.ac.za>
Sender: news@hippo.ru.ac.za (Usenet News Admin)
Organization: Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 1994 09:37:56 GMT
Lines: 25

I have an idea that I'd like your collective optinions of:

Take one standard desktop computer mouse (2-3 button's fine)
Replace inards with whatever it takes to keep it working as a mouse AND
when the user presses cursor keys on keyboard the mouse moves in the 
appropriate direction.  This will take some driver software in the PC too 
but can the hardware be done?  I have seen stepper motors small enuf on a 
combination 1.2m floppy/1.44 stiffy drive - motor was on head movement for 
stiffy.  Basically I propose putting the steppers onto the encoder shafts to 
drive the ball.  We would also have to replace the electronics with a new 
controller (same controller - new program?) so that instructions from the 
PC move the mouse.  I know that the communication to the mouse is serial, 
1200baud, 7bits 1 parity (?memory?)

If I knew all the 'lectronics and stuff I would have done it already cos' I 
have some friends who are susseptable to such a prank!

What're your options?

Dave
David Forsyth                       david@iwr.ru.ac.za
Institute for Water Research        The above opinions do not warrant
Rhodes Unversity                    disclaiming by any known official
South Africa                        body excepting Star Fleet Command.
                                    THEY don't receive eMail yet.
