Swiss start-up launches ring as a substitute for mice and trackpads

Moving the cursor across my laptop screen, I click on a program and try to make the window smaller. When I try the Padrone ring for the first time, I immediately learn an important lesson. Wearing the ring on your index finger may replace a mouse, but it doesn’t work in exactly the same way. Instead, you have to imagine that the desk in front of you is a trackpad.

So, if you want to move the mouse pointer across your screen, you don’t move your whole hand. Instead you run your index finger back and forth over the desk, just like you would on a trackpad. The one big advantage of this? It works just as well on your thigh as it does on a desk or armrest.

Although the ring’s slightly bulky-looking, it weighs just eight grammes and is very comfortable. It wasn’t long until I forgot there was a mouse/trackpad on my finger.

Mouse-like Bluetooth connection

The ring’s connected to a PC or Mac via Bluetooth, in the same way as a wireless mouse or controller. You don’t need special software to pair it. The controls in the ring itself, however, are seriously complex.

Using both a built-in camera and motion sensors, this is where finger movements are scanned. These signals are processed in the ring alone – no image data is sent to the computer or the Cloud. Thanks to Bluetooth Low Energy, the battery holds out for a full working day.

Given the number of components in the ring – and especially because it contains a camera – the ring is also significantly larger than a piece of jewellery or a smart ring. With this in mind, I wouldn’t advise wearing it all the time. Just put it on when you want to use your computer.

Clicking is easy, scrolling requires a little practice

It doesn’t take long to learn the basic controls. As soon as you run your finger over a surface, the movement’s tracked very precisely. When scrolling for longer distances, you can lift your finger and move it across the surface again, just as you would on a trackpad.

To click, you tap the tabletop once. Twice for a double-click. Another convenient way to click is to tap your index finger with your thumb. Tapping your middle finger, meanwhile, initiates a right-click.

I find scrolling a little trickier. This involves moving two fingers on the tabletop simultaneously. Although this works in exactly the same way as a trackpad, I need a bit more practice before I can scroll down a web page quickly and effectively.

Incidentally, the ring recognises when your fingers come close to a keyboard, and pauses the mouse function accordingly. That way, you can seamlessly switch between typing and controlling the mouse pointer. You can also deactivate the ring at any time by turning your wrist, while double-tapping your thumb to your index finger will reactivate it.

At the moment, the ring is still a pretty exotic niche product with fascinatingly complex technology. The advantage of the Padrone lies in the fact you can still use your notebook properly on the move, even when you don’t have enough space for a mouse. It’s also beneficial if you want to use an iPad or smart TV with an external mouse. If you’re sitting on the sofa and wearing the ring on your finger, your trousers or the couch work well as a surface for your substitute mouse.

When will you see it in our range?

Padrone, a start-up from the Swiss city of Zug, is currently pre-selling its ring on Kickstarter. If you’re interested, you can buy the first version for around 240 francs or 260 euros. The Swiss-made ring will then hit stores in May 2025, at which point it’ll go on regular sale.

Padrone’s three founders have been working on their product for ten years. They’d planned to launch the first version of the ring back in 2018, but at the worst possible moment, the supplier of one of its key components closed its factory. It took the trio a long time to find a replacement with the same compact design. In the meantime, they made further improvements to the ring and, most importantly, collected lots of data for the models it uses to detect and calculate finger movements.