<s>
A	O
footmouse	B-Device
(	O
or	O
foot	B-Device
mouse	I-Device
)	O
is	O
a	O
type	O
of	O
computer	B-Device
mouse	I-Device
that	O
gives	O
the	O
users	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
move	O
the	O
cursor	B-Application
and	O
click	O
the	O
mouse	B-Device
buttons	O
with	O
their	O
feet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
also	O
promoted	O
as	O
a	O
way	O
to	O
prevent	O
such	O
problems	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
and	O
as	O
a	O
means	O
to	O
increase	O
productivity	O
by	O
not	O
having	O
to	O
move	O
one	O
's	O
hand	O
between	O
the	O
keyboard	B-Device
and	O
mouse	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
about	O
ten	O
types	O
of	O
footmice	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
specialized	O
companies	O
design	O
their	O
own	O
foot	O
controlled	O
mouse	B-Device
for	O
disabled	O
people	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
difference	O
between	O
the	O
different	O
types	O
of	O
footmice	B-Device
is	O
a	O
flat	O
pedal	O
which	O
slides	O
or	O
a	O
pedal	O
which	O
tilts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
also	O
exists	O
a	O
mouse	B-Device
adapter	O
which	O
converts	O
a	O
conventional	O
mouse	B-Device
to	O
a	O
footmouse	B-Device
that	O
slides	O
and	O
horizontally	O
tilts	O
to	O
one	O
side	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
footmouse	B-Device
that	O
uses	O
sliding	O
can	O
be	O
a	O
slipper	O
with	O
a	O
mouse	B-Device
connected	O
to	O
it	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
special	O
frame	O
in	O
which	O
a	O
pedal	O
can	O
move	O
around	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
a	O
tiny	O
magnet	O
or	O
other	O
location	O
device	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
on	O
a	O
tablet	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
footmouse	B-Device
that	O
uses	O
a	O
tilting	O
pedal	O
has	O
one	O
or	O
two	O
pedals	O
which	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
tilt	O
and	O
turn	O
in	O
one	O
or	O
more	O
directions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Buttons	O
that	O
are	O
pushed	O
by	O
the	O
feet	O
are	O
not	O
considered	O
footmice	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
a	O
footmouse	B-Device
is	O
slower	O
than	O
a	O
regular	O
mouse	B-Device
(	O
a	O
handmouse	O
)	O
,	O
since	O
most	O
people	O
have	O
less	O
control	O
over	O
precise	O
movements	O
with	O
their	O
feet	O
and	O
legs	O
than	O
with	O
their	O
hands	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
footmouse	B-Device
is	O
used	O
together	O
with	O
a	O
keyboard	B-Device
,	O
the	O
cursor	B-Application
can	O
be	O
moved	O
around	O
while	O
typing	O
,	O
so	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
time	O
wasted	O
for	O
moving	O
the	O
hand	O
between	O
the	O
keyboard	B-Device
and	O
the	O
mouse	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
a	O
person	O
cannot	O
use	O
a	O
keyboard	B-Device
,	O
a	O
virtual	B-Device
keyboard	I-Device
on	O
the	O
screen	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
type	O
text	O
by	O
clicking	O
each	O
character	O
on	O
the	O
virtual	B-Device
keyboard	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
People	O
who	O
also	O
have	O
less	O
control	O
over	O
their	O
foot	O
and	O
leg	O
movement	O
and	O
are	O
unable	O
to	O
operate	O
a	O
footmouse	B-Device
can	O
sometimes	O
use	O
a	O
few	O
switches	O
for	O
setting	O
the	O
cursor	B-Application
in	O
a	O
certain	O
direction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
a	O
footmouse	B-Device
is	O
used	O
incorrectly	O
for	O
a	O
long	O
time	O
,	O
it	O
can	O
cause	O
muscle	O
cramp	O
in	O
the	O
legs	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
have	O
a	O
negative	O
influence	O
on	O
lower	O
back	O
problems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Footmice	B-Device
were	O
available	O
in	O
the	O
US	O
market	O
as	O
early	O
as	O
1985	O
.	O
</s>
