The seminal work of Yamaguchi [1] described the use of
digital recording of speckle patterns in order to measure
displacement and deformation. Since then, the approach
has been adapted for use in various fields such as bioengineering [2], materials characterization [3], microelectronics
[4], and civil engineering [5]. Some notable developments
with the technique include photorefractive crystal recording [6] and successful rate analysis [7]. In a typical recording and measurement procedure, CCD cameras are used in
conjunction with image processors and dedicated software
on computers. Such setups generally require investment of
time and cost.
The first optical mouse was introduced in 1999 by Agilent Technologies to overcome the problems of wear and
dirt accumulation. Due to the economics of large volume
production, the cost of an optical mouse is extremely
low. The optical mouse was arguably first demonstrated
to be a viable scientific sensor by Ng [8]. Since then