The Competition

What else is out there ?

The best competing technology is a combination of a normal laser-pointer and one or more buttons. Sometimes a wireless trackball or the like is integrated in the design (see for example the Keyspan remote). These devices, whilst providing limited control over the presentation and cursor motion, are cumbersome to use when, for example, quick selection of on-screen buttons etc. is desired.

A second category of devices currently on the market comprises what is best described as an ‘air-mouse’. Such devices, e.g., the GyroMouse, are based on the concept of a regular mouse with the added feature that a user may wield them in mid-air. Motion of such devices is mimicked by motion of the target (i.e., the cursor) in an indirect way; this as opposed to a laser-pointer, where the user physically and directly aims at the intended target. Even more so than with a regular mouse, devices in this category require learning curves that, for some, are quite steep. Because of this lack of ease-of-use many users prefer a laser-pointer to products like GyroMouse, even when both instruments are at hand.

Finally, a system that is no longer on the market today, but served the same purpose as the present invention, was known as Cyclops, manufactured by Proxima (see Cyclops description). In essence, it utilized an image-capturing device to discern if and where a laser-spot appeared on the projected images. Despite the obvious advantages of the system Cyclops never fulfilled its promise on the market, partly because users experienced difficulties in rooms with less-than-perfect projection conditions (see also a user's comment), as well as problems associated with click- and double-click actions.