DIM is my first move towards a "clockwork mouse". It uses an electric motor to push it along but everything else is mechanical. The disk is the "wall sensor" and turns the steering according to the position of the wall. It is held towards the left wall by the elastic band. A piece of cotton restrains the steered wheel for full lock to the left.

DIM ran at the Techno Games 2001 event. It nearly managed to get to the centre. It needed 3 touches when it got jammed. The time would have been reasonable as it was slightly faster than Drive by Wire.

To get the best idea of the size of it, the battery is AAA size.

The situations that cause it to jam are where there is a right turn too close to a left turn so that it does not have room to recover itself. The solution would be to make it smaller. I have other ideas for solutions involving two steered wheels but I am quite pleased that such a simple and unintelligent mouse works at all!

Please email comments to me at Duncan Louttit

Last changed 4/1/01