If the pleat-loving fashion designer Issey Miyake was given the task to craft a fashionable wireless Bluetooth mouse intended for travel – lightweight yet durable, sleek yet stylish, rechargeable with a long lasting battery – we like to imagine the late fashion icon might have conceived a device similar to the myAir.0 The Foldable Bluetooth Computer Mouse.
The brainchild of designer Horace Lam, the eight faceted folds device was inspired by Lam’s penchant for folding paper into shapes. Over several iterations and prototypes informed by origami paper models, Lam would eventually land upon a faceted shape that literally pops into its functional form with the aid of magnets.
Two small neodymium magnets placed in opposing corners connect to transform the flat laying form into a dimensionally ergonomic, full-size mouse.
Weighing a mere 40 grams and measuring only 4.5mm thin, the myAir.0 is reminiscent of the Microsoft Arc Mouse, a peripheral we consider one of Microsoft’s finest design and engineering feats. The myAir.0 shares a satisfying tactile element, alongside a similar intuitive shapeshifting ability optimized for travel. Both input devices’ literal flex are their ability to transform from a completely flat configuration to one shaped to fit naturally within the palm.
The three front faceted panels incorporate a right and left mechanical button, with the center panel tasked for swipe-touch scrolling.
The origami-inspired vegan leather sheathed peripheral is not only aesthetically pleasing, but its polygonal structure imbues it with a high degree of structural durability capable of enduring drops without breaking apart like a normal plastic mouse. Like the honeycomb structure found in beehives or Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes in architecture, the myAir.0’s multi-panel structure is designed to distribute force across its numerous sides and angles, making it stronger than its slim and lightweight folded form may first appear – all ideal attributes for a device intended for travel.
Lam’s original design included some wilder graphic options, but the launch options include a palette of 6 solid colors: gray, black, blue, yellow, purple, and red.
Like nearly any modern wireless mouse, the myAir.0 charges via USB-C cable. A full charge is capable of lasting for up to 3 months, with one minute of charging delivering up to 3 hours of use.
The Red Dot 2023 winning myAir.0 Foldable Bluetooth Mouse is currently available for $69 via myair0.com.
