In the future, the mouse may disappear altogether if Stanford doctoral student Manu Kumar has his way. His research project titled GUIDe, Gaze-enhanced User Interface Design, uses eye tracking software with a hi-definition camera to interact with a computer. Mouse tracking is replaced by your gaze and where you focus. Mouse clicking is replaced by you blinking. As the technology matures, we could potentially navigate files much faster than today since the eye is optically much more accurate and faster.
One of the barriers they're hitting is tactile feedback. As evident from the onslaught of electronic devices that have dropped tactile feedback for open digital interfaces, it's difficult to know exactly where you're looking without reference. Originally the researchers included a blue dot to indicate where you were looking but during tests, it seemed to slow people down since they tend to focus in on the dot. When it was removed, people were forced to just trust their instincts and navigating become much more fluid and natural.
I can see it now. We all agree future interfaces will be represented in true 3D. However using a 2D interface like a mouse doesn't seem efficient. The human eye can discern depth and space much more accurately. Combined with our hands, manipulating data will become much easier.
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