If you use a mouse on a daily basis, you'll know that gripping the little device for all those hours can easily cause discomfort. A crowdfunding project is looking to help, aiming to bring a new ergonomic mouse to market, combining an upright, neutral gripping position with visual signals telling the user to take regular small breaks.
A glance at the R-Go Break tells you it's no ordinary mouse, sporting an upright design common to ergonomic input devices like the Evoluent Vertical Mouse we reviewed in 2013. Rather than have your arm twisted onto the desk as you would with a normal mouse, you grip the R-Go Break in a neutral position, not unlike you would a joystick. According to the company, this ensures that you move the device with your arm rather than your wrist, minimizing stress.
What makes the R-Go Break stand out from the grip mouse crowd is a design aimed at nipping bad habits in the bud. The thumb side of the mouse features an LED indicator that'll glow green, orange, or red, depending on whether you're "good to go," should take a break, or are long overdue for one.
The idea is to make the user take regular short breaks from having their hand on the mouse, preventing them from overloading tendons and muscles in the wrist and arm. Combined with the neutral gripping position, the team believes it could have a big positive health impact.
Of course, the R-Go Break is an input device at heart. A wired device, there are two buttons to the front, forward and back clickers on the side, and a scroll wheel in the center. Sensitivity is adjustable, with 500, 1,000, 1,800 and 2,500 DPI options available.
Currently, the device is only being offered in a design that's suitable for right-handed users. However, the company is considering a left-handed model should the initial release prove popular, tentatively slated for a 2017 launch.
The project has recently launched on Indiegogo, and is looking to raise US$20,000 over the next month to fund production. Pledges start at US$49, and assuming everything goes to plan, the company aims to ship early units in September this year.
Check out the video below for an overview of what the R-Go Break has to offer.
Sources: R-Go Break, Indiegogo