ⓒ R.O.C.K

Today, we’re going to introduce a company named R.O.C.K that has developed a wearable mouse shaped like a ring. Let’s hear from company CEO Kim Jae-hyun. 

Established in 2018, R.O.C.K. is a developer of a ring-shaped wearable mouse embedded with both a tactile and a gyro sensor. Conventional mice based on an optical sensor can be used on flat surfaces like mousepads but not on glass. When using the traditional mouse, people often experience the inconvenience of wrist pain known as carpal tunnel syndrome or aching finger joints. Our mouse, on the other hand, can be put on a finger like a ring, so it is easy to carry around and reduces the stress on the users’ wrists. Our ring mouse can perform all the conventional functions of a traditional mouse such as click, double click, scroll and drag & drop. It took more than two years to develop. It weighs 15 grams and is 14 millimeters in thickness, so wearers might feel the ring mouse is a bit thick. 

As an input device used with a computer, the computer mouse got its name as it resembles a rodent with a tail. By moving a mouse on a flat surface, users can move the cursor on the computer screen. By clicking the button of the mouse, they can conduct certain operations and functions. Computer mice, along with keyboards, are the most widely used input device. But after using a mouse for long hours, people may feel their fingers or wrists hurt. Also, an optical mouse typically doesn’t work well on slippery surfaces like glass. 

The smart ring mouse developed by R.O.C.K remedied these shortcomings of the existing mouse in an innovative way. The tiny, ring-like mouse is easy to wear and use. On top of its role as a computer mouse, it has various other functions that can be used in a wide range of areas in daily life. 

Our product can serve as a mouse, of course. It can also be used as a smart TV remote control and a transportation card as well. We plan on developing it into a VR game controller. If people drop the controller when playing a VR game, it is difficult to pick it back up with their VR glasses on. But they can wear our product on two fingers, like rings, to control the game. 

That is, they can operate various gaming contents simply by moving their hands in the air, while still wearing their VR glasses. In particular, users can play action or shooting games, more freely and comfortably.

Based on a tactile sensor and a gyro sensor, the company’s ring mouse can be used in the air. This feature is very convenient not only in computer use but on various occasions in daily life. For example, it is difficult to operate a smartphone with one hand in a crowded bus or subway, with holding onto a subway passenger handle with the other. By simply using the ring mouse on their finger, people can operate their phones more easily. With it, they won’t need touchscreen gloves in winter as they can operate their smartphones with their hands in their pockets. 

But the thickness of fingers differs from person to person. How does the mouse fit into the fingers of different people? R.O.C.K’s product clearly stands out in this very area, compared to its foreign alternatives. 

ⓒ R.O.C.K

A Swiss product is similar to ours. But it has some weak points as a wearable product. The Swiss ring mouse comes in 12 different sizes, considering that the thickness of fingers varies. But it is less feasible economically and less innovative. 

In collaboration with a research team at Inha University, we resolved the problem by applying shape memory polymer film to the finger mouse. Shape memory polymer is a material that changes in size or shape in accordance with temperature change. This material is applied on the part that touches the finger so the ring mouse can fit into the finger of a wearer. I believe our technology is competitive enough to receive a patent or intellectual property rights, whoever uses it later. 

The PC mouse was created in 1963, but didn’t become common until the 1980s. CEO Kim’s innovative reinterpretation of the mouse definitely merits praise. But he faces a major difficulty, namely, unfamiliarity. 

Many people have used the traditional mouse for nearly 40 years, and they might be unfamiliar with the new type of a mouse and have difficulty in getting used to it. 

To resolve this issue, the company will employ a marketing strategy of providing its ring mouse as a bundled product of desktop PCs or notebook computers. It is discussing the plan with large companies, aiming to officially launch the product at the end of the year. In addition, the company is making efforts to add many more functions to its ring mouse. 

We have a goal to enter the healthcare market as well. If people use our ring mouse while working, they can actually monitor their stress. The ring mouse can measure the stress level through the blood flow of the finger, based on a PPG sensor that detects blood volume changes. The result is linked to one’s smartphone, so individuals can check up on their stress levels. With this solution, we’re preparing to jump into the growing healthcare market.

R.O.C.K has already won recognition from the industry as an innovative tech startup. CEO Kim was selected as one of members of the economic delegation that accompanied the president during the South Korea-U.S. summit and the South Korea-China summit in 2017. He also attended CES, the world’s largest technology expo, in Las Vegas in 2019 and in 2020. 

Riding on the contactless trend driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, R.O.C.K also considers using its finger mouse for diverse non-face-to-face services. 

We’re preparing to use our ring mouse in contact-free areas and also planning a product that can prevent cheating during exams. On top of that, we’re interested in the area of authentication certificates, which will disappear soon, to ensure better security for online payments. Our goal is to allow users to enjoy a smart and convenient life through wearable ring products. 

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said, “I’ll put a computer on everyone’s desk.” Similarly, Kim’s dream is to put a R.O.C.K ring mouse on everyone’s finger. The company has made strenuous research efforts and taken up new challenges. We hope the company’s products will naturally permeate into the lives of many people.