Flow lets you play your computer like an instrument

Designers Are Ditching The Mouse For The “Flow” 3D Motion Touch Controller

The mouse is certainly a comfortable controller and some people still can’t get used to the idea of using merely the track-pad on the laptops and they still attach the mouse for a more ‘user-friendly’ experience. However, for some this mouse can be a bit frustrating at times. Particularly in instances where there is a strong need for more detail and precision. Try working on the Photoshop, Final Cut, AutoCAD or even Spotify and you will soon be screaming at the mouse with frustration. This is where we can all welcome Flow with a warm smile.

This new input device lets you work on your computer as if you are merely playing an instrument. Yes, it is that simple – with infinite dexterity through feeling rather than sight. With the Y Combinator startup Senic’s $100 wireless Flow puck, you can have four different types of control options;

• motion by waving over its infrared sensor

• haptic response for pushing Flow like a button

• a programmable touch-sensitive pad on top

• a physical cylinder around the sides that you can twist for ultimate precision

The Flow is currently made to be compatible with around 30 apps including the likes of Adobe Creative Suite. The platform is so flexible that developers can literally custom build a Flow for the functioning of literally anything they want.

According to co-founder Tobias Eichenwald, there are better ways to get around your computer screen than just squinting at it. With the help of Flow, he wants users to be able to control their computers “blindly, unconsciously, naturally” – just like playing your favorite instrument. This is certainly a blessing for the designers who otherwise have to dig though the extensive Photoshop menus and use a clumsy mouse or hit the bracket button, which changes things in increments that are too big. “You can never do pixel-perfect graphics” says Eichenwald.

Currently, the Flow is on Indiegogo for $100 and according to Eichenwald, designers can quickly recoup the cost since there is so much more efficiency involved as a tool for input.  It has went far ahead with its funding and looks like it managed to impress all these pledgers who have donated $238,069 so far.

source: indiegogo