Future Tech: Scientists Take First Step Towards Developing 3D Mouse Cursor

Over the years, our knowledge about technology has become so vast that we can now create 3D holograms and programs to interact with us. We have mastered the fields of robotics and flying vehicles. But, all our advances have started with an ordinary single click. Yes, a single click of a mouse that hovers the cursor to our desired files and folders.

While most technology requires 3D modeling, the mouse cursor continued to play along the 2D frame. But now, advancing a step further into the 3D world, some scientists have developed techniques to enable computer cursors to interact in 3D for single or multiple users in both, local and remote, collaboration scenarios.

Unveiled at the SIGGRAPH 2015 conference in Los Angeles, researchers from the University of Montreal say the innovation of such technology would help designers to modify their creations in 3D at a whole new level.

Lead researcher Professor Tomas Dorta from the university’s school of Design, said:

Our new technology challenges the notion of what a cursor is and does.

Professor Tomas Dorta, explains that the cursor becomes a drawing and controlling plane. They explained that, for now, the technology uses a tablet to hover the cursor around in a 3D environment, but as time passes by, will soon be used in smartphones and smartwatches. 

The team explained how the cursor selects objects in space. The users just sweep the 3D cursors through. Dora added that for manipulations of objects, the users can use signs and movements such as pinching and orientation.

Scientists have also stated that the technology would be able to be used in a wide range of fields like architecture, medicines and computer games.

For example, for an interior designer, while designing a room, they can test different furniture options according to the scale and even work on interior detailing.

This wasn’t a gimmicky rebirth of the cursor, it’s about rethinking how humans interact with computers as part of the creative process.

The technology has been named as Hyve-3D system and the 3D cursor and is supported by Univalor, the university’s technology commercialization unit and, Hybridlab Inc., a startup. Several patents are due for signing.