![]() “No two people are alike, and empowering people to configure their own system that works for them was definitely the goal.” “The Microsoft Adaptive Accessories are intended to remove the barriers that traditional mice and keyboards may present to people with limited mobility,” says Gabi Michel, director of Accessible Accessories at Microsoft. The mouse and button can be further customized with 3D-printed attachments from the company Shapeways. They can create custom inputs without a keyboard through the Adaptive Hub and Adaptive Button, which is available as a D-pad, joystick and dual button. Users can customize the Adaptive Mouse with different attachments, including a mouse tail extension and a thumb support configurable for the left or right hand. The wireless accessories can replace or augment a traditional mouse and keyboard for users with limited mobility or anyone who wants to use a PC more easily and efficiently. If this works for her, this could have the same impact for so many other people.’” “But really quickly, I thought, ‘Hold on. Let’s hack a way for her to use the PC,’” says Helmes, who lives in the Netherlands. ![]() ![]() “In the beginning, it was, ‘Jara can’t use a PC. The accessories include the Adaptive Mouse, Adaptive Hub and Adaptive Buttons and are now generally available. Two years and many iterations later, that early prototype has evolved into the new Microsoft Adaptive Accessories, a highly adaptable ecosystem that lets users customize their mouse, keyboard inputs and shortcuts. The device reduced unintended clicks and helped Jara, then 5, control her computer cursor for the first time. He assembled a large team to build a prototype from a Microsoft Arc mouse they cut and attached to a 3D-printed piece designed for finger support and control. ![]() He brought his idea, an adaptable mouse for people who can’t use a traditional mouse, to the company’s Hackathon, an annual innovation event for employees. When Jara began using a computer at school and couldn’t control the mouse, her dad envisioned making another custom device for his daughter, who has cerebral palsy.īut this time, John Helmes, an industrial designer at Microsoft, had a bigger project. When Jara Helmes was a toddler walking with stiff, heavy leg braces, her father made her a lighter, softer pair 3D-printed in her favorite color, pink. ![]()
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