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The Human & Machine Innovation Lab: Pushing the Boundaries of Mouse Design
At ZOWIE, we invest lots of time in developing different mouse shapes and sizes to meet the wide range of gamers’ needs. We conduct in-depth qualitative interviews and usability tests on our prototypes before each new shape is launched and never stop thinking about other ways to create better types of mouse for our customers. The Human & Machine Innovation Lab, which aims at collecting and analyzing quantitative data, represents our efforts to seek continuous improvement. We believe that designs based on both qualitative and quantitative data can help our users attain even higher levels of performance.
Sports Science in ZOWIE Mouse Design
What Truly Matters to Gamers
1. Performance
Gamers care most about performance. Therefore, ZOWIE always makes sure our mouse designs enable precise aiming and agile movement.
2. Comfort
Gamers prefer mouse shapes that match their hands and grip styles. Having just the right weight is also of concern. Since one type of mouse does not suit everyone, ZOWIE offers many options for our customers to choose from.
3. Endurance
When pursuing exceptional performance, gamers often neglect endurance. However, endurance is crucial to gamers’ long-term health and gaming careers. With sports science, we can develop mouse designs that cause less tightness and fatigue in the muscles during and after long game plays, decreasing the risk of musculoskeletal injuries.
The Science Behind Our Mice
Typically, we analyze the following elements. Among them, Motion Capture and Electromyography (EMG) fall within the sports science field.
Motion Capture and EMG for ZOWIE Mouse Design
1. Motion Capture
Evaluate a gamer’s posture and movement when gripping and maneuvering a mouse. Check whether gamers can maintain a comfortable posture and fast hand movement.
2. EMG
Inspect muscle activation and muscle fatigue from the electrical signal produced by the muscles. See how much force gamers are exerting and examine muscle fatigue during longer tasks.
3. Anthropometry
Measure dimensions of the hand
4. Game Performance
Assess the performance of a mouse through time spent on different tasks and the achievement rate in those tasks.
5. Qualitative Interview
Record feedback from gamers, such as the sensations in their hands when using a mouse, along with the reasons for those sensations.
6. Thermochromic Ink
Observe gamers’ contact points and contact areas on a mouse. Then we compare the data of different design proposals, select the most promising one(s), and move on to the next development process. From our research, we also hope to gain a deeper understanding of mouse characteristics, and help our users select the most suitable mouse for them.
Spotlight on Innovation: The EC-CW Series
According to our research findings, the EC-CW allows the index and middle fingers to click buttons more easily. The extensor indicis muscle was less active during the quick click task, which could be attributed to the greater angle of the index finger's metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint. Muscle fatigue is a common occurrence that reduces performance. The EC-CW's side buttons are purposefully placed to avoid accidental clicks and to allow a gamer’s thumb to rest. The smaller angle of the thumb MCP joint may improve shooting accuracy while moving, and may also reduce fatigue of the first dorsal interossei muscle. The EC-CW's smooth and seamless design eliminates any discomfort caused by jagged edges or protrusions made solely for aesthetic purposes. In addition, the sports science research suggests that EC-CW has an outstanding anti-fatigue feature in wrist flexor muscles during the quick click task.
The ZOWIE Promise: Continuous Improvement Through Sports Science
At ZOWIE, each new shape is born of rigorous research. Using sports science research techniques we are able to view different design proposals through a more objective lens. We consider performance, comfort, and endurance all at the same time. Despite the lengthy development period this might involve, we believe it’s worth the effort so as to bring the optimum gaming experience to our customers.
