4 ms·

As far as I know the "other times this has been tried" all have had individual displays (and controllers) in each key. The difference being that here there is j

by qwery 4y ago

As far as I know the "other times this has been tried" all have had individual displays (and controllers) in each key. The difference being that here there is just one panel under the whole board with most of the parts above the display being transparent. This approach should be far less complicated to build, more robust and cheaper. Honestly, I don't think I need an LCD in my keyboard but I'd quite like to have a go on some mAgLeV hall effect switches! On that note, if you like magnets and/or keebs you might be interested in Void switches[0] -- 3D printable hall effect switches [0] https://github.com/riskable/void_switch https://github.com/riskable/void_switch

snapplebobapple 4y ago
It's basically a big streamdeck...
Groxx 4y ago
For a simpler but different-feeling option, you can also use rubber domes and glue, e.g. https://github.com/geoffder/dometyl-keyboard/#another-dactyl-inspired-keyboard-supporting-mx-choc-and-even-rubber-domes https://github.com/geoffder/dometyl-keyboard/#another-dactyl...
- nerdponx 4y ago
  It's a shame that attempts to build open hardware and firmware for Topre/Niz-style capacitative rubber domes haven't gone anywhere over the years. Unless I'm out of the loop, people are still stuck yanking PCBs and controllers out of their Realforces and HHKBs to use domes in custom builds.
  - sodiumjoe 4y ago
    This is the closest I've seen: https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=11734 https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=11734
  - nerpderp82 4y ago
    One could use those silicon popper OCD toys as a keyboard construction method. Still might need some sort of compliant spring mechanism with hysteresis.
  - fomine3 4y ago
    Some Japanese did. https://goropikari.hatenablog.com/entry/diy_ec_keyboard https://goropikari.hatenablog.com/entry/diy_ec_keyboard
nerdponx 4y ago
Are there actual custom keyboard PCPs and controllers that support these? That would be pretty damn cool to have a maglev keyboard.
- qwery 4y ago
  There's a kicad library [0] and (STM32F4*) firmware in rust [1] on riskable's github. Ed: Untested Void Switch Reference PCB Implementation [2] [0] https://github.com/riskable/void_switch_kicad https://github.com/riskable/void_switch_kicad [1] https://github.com/riskable/riskeyboard70 https://github.com/riskable/riskeyboard70 [2] https://github.com/riskable/void_switch_65_pct https://github.com/riskable/void_switch_65_pct
k_ 4y ago
Looks like a nice use case for eink IMO, as I don't see the point of having video playing under my keys but having keycaps that can change depending on the context sounds nice.
- SxC97 4y ago
  I remember seeing this _exact_ comment back in the late 2000s and being really excited for an eInk keyboard. eInk was always a super cool tech that was _just_ around the corner, but after almost 15 years I'm disapointed that it's applications have been largely restricted to eReades.
  - mlambie 4y ago
    [dead]
  - LoveMortuus 4y ago
    It would be extremely cool to finally end the constant pain of either overpaying for a laptop with my country's localization on the keyboard or straight up using a keyboard from a different country and just not looking at the keyboard since the buttons are all different when you set the software localization to my own country. eInk under every key, would of course be expensive at first but it would mean that the keyboards would now only have to be developed for US and got the ISO standard. My stationary computer has Slovenian layout (which is where I'm from), Chromebook has German (where I also bought the laptop) layout because I couldn't find the same model for anywhere close to the same price in Slovenia (which is very common, most electronics I've bought have been from Germany or elsewhere just not Slovenia, because even including the shipping it's still cheaper. But I still set the software keyboard layout to Slovenian, which means that the stuff that's printed on the keyboard is useless to me... If anyone is looking for an excellent website to compare prizes and find products in Europe, I highly recommend geizhals.eu, the filter options make it so that you can basically build your own laptop, they are really amazing!
- _nalply 4y ago
  Especially when it's bright. I can imagine under direct sunlight the keyboard loses some of its appeal. Whatever.
7e 4y ago
If you don’t have the displays in the keys themselves, the symbols get really hard to see at the angles users typically use. I don’t typically look directly down at my keyboard as it’s not in my lap.
- mihaaly 4y ago
  True. If it had short travel large keys (like on current MacBook Airs) with thin keys it would be better. I wouldn't mind having mechanical instead of magnetic suspension on the sides of keys and non-transparent (i.e. metal) gaps between keys (as it is now, again, with MacBook Air) as having a pretty big picture of video shown in the background is completely unnecessary, being a bother actually, distracting and annoying. Basically transparent material thin keys looking through many small windows into the single background display that may show whatever letters or small pictures (in high resolution) we want for each key.
- mthoms 4y ago
  Theoretically the glyph images could be offset. That is, there could be a setting so that they are all shifted upwards slightly so they appear neared the centre of the key when sitting back. Of course, this does nothing to help if your position relative to the keyboard changes more dynamically throughout your usage.

by qwery 4y ago

snapplebobapple 4y ago

It's basically a big streamdeck...

Groxx 4y ago

For a simpler but different-feeling option, you can also use rubber domes and glue, e.g. https://github.com/geoffder/dometyl-keyboard/#another-dactyl-inspired-keyboard-supporting-mx-choc-and-even-rubber-domes https://github.com/geoffder/dometyl-keyboard/#another-dactyl...

nerdponx 4y ago
It's a shame that attempts to build open hardware and firmware for Topre/Niz-style capacitative rubber domes haven't gone anywhere over the years. Unless I'm out of the loop, people are still stuck yanking PCBs and controllers out of their Realforces and HHKBs to use domes in custom builds.
- sodiumjoe 4y ago
  This is the closest I've seen: https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=11734 https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=11734
- nerpderp82 4y ago
  One could use those silicon popper OCD toys as a keyboard construction method. Still might need some sort of compliant spring mechanism with hysteresis.
- fomine3 4y ago
  Some Japanese did. https://goropikari.hatenablog.com/entry/diy_ec_keyboard https://goropikari.hatenablog.com/entry/diy_ec_keyboard

nerdponx 4y ago

Are there actual custom keyboard PCPs and controllers that support these? That would be pretty damn cool to have a maglev keyboard.

qwery 4y ago
There's a kicad library [0] and (STM32F4*) firmware in rust [1] on riskable's github. Ed: Untested Void Switch Reference PCB Implementation [2] [0] https://github.com/riskable/void_switch_kicad https://github.com/riskable/void_switch_kicad [1] https://github.com/riskable/riskeyboard70 https://github.com/riskable/riskeyboard70 [2] https://github.com/riskable/void_switch_65_pct https://github.com/riskable/void_switch_65_pct

k_ 4y ago

Looks like a nice use case for eink IMO, as I don't see the point of having video playing under my keys but having keycaps that can change depending on the context sounds nice.

SxC97 4y ago
I remember seeing this _exact_ comment back in the late 2000s and being really excited for an eInk keyboard. eInk was always a super cool tech that was _just_ around the corner, but after almost 15 years I'm disapointed that it's applications have been largely restricted to eReades.
- mlambie 4y ago
  [dead]
- LoveMortuus 4y ago
  It would be extremely cool to finally end the constant pain of either overpaying for a laptop with my country's localization on the keyboard or straight up using a keyboard from a different country and just not looking at the keyboard since the buttons are all different when you set the software localization to my own country. eInk under every key, would of course be expensive at first but it would mean that the keyboards would now only have to be developed for US and got the ISO standard. My stationary computer has Slovenian layout (which is where I'm from), Chromebook has German (where I also bought the laptop) layout because I couldn't find the same model for anywhere close to the same price in Slovenia (which is very common, most electronics I've bought have been from Germany or elsewhere just not Slovenia, because even including the shipping it's still cheaper. But I still set the software keyboard layout to Slovenian, which means that the stuff that's printed on the keyboard is useless to me... If anyone is looking for an excellent website to compare prizes and find products in Europe, I highly recommend geizhals.eu, the filter options make it so that you can basically build your own laptop, they are really amazing!
_nalply 4y ago
Especially when it's bright. I can imagine under direct sunlight the keyboard loses some of its appeal. Whatever.

7e 4y ago

If you don’t have the displays in the keys themselves, the symbols get really hard to see at the angles users typically use. I don’t typically look directly down at my keyboard as it’s not in my lap.

mihaaly 4y ago
True. If it had short travel large keys (like on current MacBook Airs) with thin keys it would be better. I wouldn't mind having mechanical instead of magnetic suspension on the sides of keys and non-transparent (i.e. metal) gaps between keys (as it is now, again, with MacBook Air) as having a pretty big picture of video shown in the background is completely unnecessary, being a bother actually, distracting and annoying. Basically transparent material thin keys looking through many small windows into the single background display that may show whatever letters or small pictures (in high resolution) we want for each key.
mthoms 4y ago
Theoretically the glyph images could be offset. That is, there could be a setting so that they are all shifted upwards slightly so they appear neared the centre of the key when sitting back. Of course, this does nothing to help if your position relative to the keyboard changes more dynamically throughout your usage.