Use your body to control the computer

Posted at March 6, 2006

As an update to the More “Africa” in your computer and the Running and training online post: Today “foot pedal interface” was the subject of this thread on the 43folders Google Group.

I’ve been noticing lately that I could really use an easier way to trigger certain things on my computer. I’m thinking perhaps some sort of foot pedal is the way to go. “Right-arrowing into” items in Quicksilver comes to mind. I’d love to be able to use a foot switch to navigate folders, etc. in QS. I’m sure more ues would become quickly apparent.

Three products are so far suggested:

Savant Elite Programmable USB Foot Switch

NuLOOQ

I also came over the new NuLOOQ input device from Logitech. It’s a wheel-y-kind of thing with software that makes it easier to access tools and menus faster. You can download a 30-day free trial version of the software and try it without the actual USB device. If you have used the NuLOOQ (what a name!), I’m interested in hearing from you.

NuLOOQ

Jump to hit return

The Xkeys site mentioned above, also sell an amazing collection of USB devices, including the X-keys® USB Switch Interface (12 Ports), which let you put up to 12 buttons and pedals to it. It would be cool if some of these buttons were bigger and that you had to hit them really hard to make them work. Example: You had to punch a big red button to check your e-mail. Or to update your RSS feeds. How’s that for productivity?

Xkeys buttons Xkeys switch

To get some action, I guess I could put one button on the ceiling, so that I had to jump up to hit it. Maybe put the return key on that one? LOL. I would get in shape in no time. And would have to keep towels and extra t-shirts next to my editing desk.

Chew Chew…

The weirdest controller is the RailDriver Desktop Train Cab Controller, originally made for controlling the Microsoft Train Simulator, but I guess you could use it for anything that use USB controllers.

RailDriver Desktop Train Cab Controller

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