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Beth Stackpole

3Dconnexion Survey Touts 3-D Mice Productivity Gains

Admittedly, this tidbit is self-serving, but interesting all the same. 3Dconnexion, a Logitech company, just released the results of a survey, which found that CAD design engineers are more productive and efficient when using 3-D mice. The survey, conduced by independent market researcher MarketLab, polled 190 3Dconnexion mice users, garnering feedback on a variety of issues regarding their experience with 3-D mice when using leading CAD applications like SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor.

More than 80% of respondents said that using a 3-D mouse increased their productivity, most noting an increase within the first week of using their 3-D mouse. In addition, almost half of the respondents said their overall productivity increased by 20% or more. More than 80% reported that using a 3-D mouse made it easier to identify problems associated with a design. The other big win for 3-D mouse users: More than 70% of those surveyed said their 3-D mouse reduced discomfort when navigating designs, allowing for longer design sessions.

Unlike traditional mice, 3-D mice let design engineers move in all three dimensions simultaneously, using six degrees of freedom. Users gently lift, press and turn the controller cap to pan, zoom and rotate without stopping to select commands.

Still skeptical? Check out the findings from the survey yourself in a white paper, “The Economic Payback of 3D Mice for CAD Design Engineers.”