two yamahas, one passion: a fusion of an instrument and a PC mouse

‘two yamahas, one passion’ conceptual design

‘two yamahas, one passion’ is a conceptual design project that proposes two sleek computer mouse models. developed by the collaboration of yamaha and yamaha motor (two companies in japan that share the same ‘yamaha ‘ brand but in different market fields), the project fuses two different approaches to one design project.

for this project, the designers worked on a high-quality mouse — one of the most ubiquitous digital devices of our time. they came up with a shape and function, taking into account both companies’ main subjects (motor and instrument). the result is the creation of two unique mouse designs, one taking shape as a musical instrument and the other resembling a vehicle frame.all images by yamaha and yamaha motor

a wind instrument-like mouse

this shape was created as a result of trying to express the flow of electrons on a printed circuit board in a way that can be shown visually. the board sends instructions by electrical signals. the flow of electrons is basically in one direction, from the negative to the positive pole, even though there are branch points, so it is often compared to water flow. a wind instrument can be likened to water in that it produces sound by controlling the amount of air flowing through the pipes as well. and this is where the similarities between the circuit board and the wind instrument can be found.

in the mouse’s internal workings, the design team attempted to visually grasp the flow of electrons by adopting a pipe structure like that of a wind instrument. the tactile sensation of a click is like a piston valve, allowing electrical signals to be transmitted as if pushing air. signals such as clicking and scrolling are integrated into the image sensor section of the main unit, which is the heart of the device. from there, a single tube snakes its way around the mouse’s body to the tip, where commands are sent out. the mouse pointer speed, number of scrolls, click intervals, and other functions originally set through the os of the pc can be adjusted more intuitively like tuning a musical instrument by having them as physical dial knobs on the mouse itself. digital devices become warm, analog tools like musical instruments, giving pleasure from operating them.

motorcycle-like PC device

the second model was inspired by the motorcycle, the origin of yamaha motor. by redesigning the monocoque structure of the mouse, which is normally associated with consumer electronics, into a combination of a frame and exterior structure, the designers transformed it into a vehicle-like form. the final design is composed of multiple elements, but which, like the mobility design, has a sense of dynamics as a whole. the appearance of each element is designed to be ‘rugged and tough’. the group of electronic components located in the center of the mouse resembles an engine, the heart of a vehicle. in addition, they tried to express the ‘human-machine sensuality’ concept, which is about the relationship between people and tools, in the parts of the mouse that people touch, as well as in the operating feel.

inspired by the gas pedal of a personal watercraft (jet ski) or an all-terrain vehicle, the click part is designed to have a lever-type shape and movement. by pressing and holding the left and right clicks while holding down the thumb button, like operating a motorcycle clutch, the scrolling action is performed. this is a unique rebooted mouse design that was based on yamaha motor’s design philosophy. the conceptual design of the two mice gives a sense of yamaha’s design method.