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Movement / Energy research

Palmform

A mouse that makes room for movement.

Optional squeeze and palm-press inputs. Familiar pointing comes first.
Overall Palmform design with an independent palm rest and side grips01 / 05

A familiar tool. A new question.

What if a deliberate squeeze or palm press could contribute a little energy to your mouse? Palmform explores that possibility while keeping ordinary work low-resistance.

Current stage
Concept & theoretical research
Published research
v3 · Oct 21, 2026
Next step
Measure load and net harvested energy
Take a closer look
Read the research ↗

WHERE THE IDEA BEGAN

A grip trainer and a mouse.
Why not think a little further?

“There is a grip trainer on the desk, and a mouse. The mouse needs electricity, but not very much.”

Palmform starts with this everyday observation. Combine deliberate movement with a low-power device, check whether the theory adds up, then decide what mechanism is worth building.

See the energy model and next measurements

A daily energy model you can check

Under the current assumptions, each grip stores 0.125 J net and each palm press 0.015 J. Daily storage-side demand is about 28.44 J. With 216 grips and 100 palm presses, theoretical daily storage reaches 28.50 J, just above the daily total required.

This result is sensitive to the assumptions. Actual mouse load, net harvesting efficiency, startup voltage and movement timing all need measurement. A balanced daily total does not guarantee continuous power. Ordinary pointing stays low-resistance; the user chooses when to enter an activity mode.

Component reference for low-power energy harvesting · TI ↗
01 Measure a full day's real load02 Measure work and net stored energy per action03 Test pointing stability and power startup

PALMFORM / THE FILM

It started with a flat battery.

A grip trainer and a mouse on the same desk.
What if every deliberate movement gave something back?

01:11 / 1080P / English narration & captions
Download English ↓Open the Chinese version · 01:13 ↗

Updated 2026.10.23 · New brand intro and outro · Enable captions in the player

What is the film about?

A grip trainer often sits idle while a mouse keeps needing a charge. Palmform connects these two observations, exploring inward grips and downward palm presses as supplementary energy for a low-power mouse. Ordinary work keeps a light pointing action; activity modes are optional. USB charging and a battery remain. The next step is to measure movement, force, travel, efficiency and losses.

01 / TWO WAYS TO MOVE

One mouse.
Two new movements.

Familiar pointing stays where it belongs.
When you want to move, try a different action.

A translucent hand squeezing the Palmform side grips, with arrows and outlines marking independent sideways travel
01 / SIDE SQUEEZE

Squeeze inward.

Both grips move toward each other, with sideways travel measured separately.

A translucent palm pressing the independent rear palm rest, with vertical arrows and outlines marking its travel
02 / PALM PRESS

Press downward.

The rear palm rest moves independently while the front button area stays steady.

A light grip for work. An active choice when you want to move.

02 / CHOOSE YOUR MOMENT

Work. Rest. Move.
Each has its own rhythm.

Choose a state
to explore the interaction concept.

WORK / 01

When it is time to work,
let it be a good mouse.

The palm rest and side grips lock into a stable structure for ordinary pointing. Office work does not require extra effort against a harvesting mechanism.

Steady pointing. A light grip.
Palmform in an office setting
Close-up of Palmform's silver palm rest, metal supports and dark textured grips

A STUDY IN CONTRAST

Soft contact.
Clear boundaries.

Fine textures, separate surfaces and structural gaps give each movement its own space.

03 / A SMALL ENERGY EXPERIMENT

Move your hand.
How much energy could it store?

Adjust the action counts to explore the theoretical energy balance.

Change the number of movements and watch the energy balance. Expand the assumptions and method below.

Show the calculation

Grip: 50 N × 10 mm × 25% = 0.125 J/action. Palm press: 20 N × 3 mm × 25% = 0.015 J/action. The two inputs are independent; their net stored energy is added.

Daily storage-side demand: 24 J ÷ 85% + 0.2 J ≈ 28.44 J. The model does not include timing within the day. A daily energy balance does not establish uninterrupted power.

PALMFORM / THEORETICAL MODEL
100 actions
100 actions
Theoretical daily energy stored14.0 J
Daily demand covered49.2 %

Theoretical daily balance −14.44 J · External charging still needed

Movement adds supplementary energy. USB charging preserves the choice to simply use the mouse.

04 / WORK IN PROGRESS

The thinking so far.
Next, build and test.

Last updated 2026.10.21
Based on Palmform research v3

  1. 01 / Current stage

    Concept and theoretical research

    Form concepts, an interaction framework and a reproducible energy model are in place.

    We are here
  2. 02 / To be tested

    Mechanism and harvesting prototype

    Locking, travel, mechanical coupling, actual storage and pointing stability.

  3. 03 / To be tested

    The real experience

    Invite different people to try it. Is it understandable, comfortable and worth using?

THE OPEN RESEARCH / V3

Look at the design.
Then look at the numbers.

Form, interaction, mechanism and a dual-channel energy model.
The research is open for a closer look and a good discussion.

Research 2026.10.21 · Film 2026.10.23

GOOD IDEAS GET BETTER WITH YOU.

A little absurd.
Would you want it?

A new setting. A good question.
Either could take Palmform a step further.

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