Microsoft Arc Mouse Tear-Down
Arc Mouse: Tear-Down and Review
Credit: Google images
In my course of work I had the opportunity to test and disassemble Microsoft's Arc mouse.The Microsoft Arc Mouse was first released in 2010 as part of the Microsoft Surface brand line. It has undergone a few revisions in the subsequent years but the basic functionality
remains the same.
It was designed by Carbon Design Group in Seattle prior to their acquisition by Oculus. The Arc Mouse comes in black, gray, and white. There is also some variety between models in the texture of the ‘skin’ and the surface finish of the button pad.
Top, Bottom, and Bent
The Arc Mouse has three features that are particularly distinguishing. These features span the categories of design, hapitcs, and components.
Alongside an elegant visual design this mouse also features a rather unique interactive element. The mouse automatically powers on when bent into an arc, and powers off again when it is folded flat for travel.
The matte-textured layer of rubber that serves as the skin for this mechanism covers any pinch points or visible hinges. This gives the mouse a much more organic and approachable feel.
In the tangent category of haptics the scroll pad of the Arc Mouse also provides an excellent interactive experience. Where one would normally expect to find a scroller wheel there is a touch sensitive track pad. The track pad controls the scrolling function in the same fashion as a physical wheel. However, it also provides haptic feedback in a manner that mimics the progress of a traditional, indexed wheel. It even allows the user to let the ‘wheel’ free-spin with a quick push across the surface which results in a pleasant decrescendo of haptic 'clicks.'
Track pad surface and assembly
The secret to this feature lies in a key component. The vibratory feedback for the track pad is generated by a Samsung piezo haptic actuator. Unlike ERM and LRA vibration motors a piezo actuator delivers feedback in realtime (sub millisecond). This creates a very seamless interaction with the trackpad that keeps up with rapid changes in speed and position of the user’s finger.
All of these features combined with a 100 meter Bluetooth range makes this mouse ideal for a frequent traveler or nomadic professional. And with prices starting at about $30 and rising to around $70 for the newest model it's available to most potential users.
A word to the wise though. If you want to take yours apart like I did be prepared for a bit of a struggle plugging the ribbon cable back into the PC board. And if you ever want to use it again I recommend leaving the spring-metal arc covered. I've included a technical rendering below for anyone who's curious.
Credit: Carbon Design Group