Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Build A Custom-Fit One-hand Keyboard

Posted by timothy on from the twiddler-with-whistles dept.

EyesWideOpen writes: "The New York Times (free reg. req.) has an article about a guy who has invented a one-hand keyboard that really isn't a board at all. The 'Stealthy Keyboard', which is in the prototype development stage, is designed to fit in the palm of the hand and uses the fingertips, the middle of the fingers and combinations of those to generate characters. More information (white paper, downloadable engineering plans, photos, etc.) can be found on this website." Inventor John McKown adds "The kit includes (open) source for the firmware. The code is for a PS/2 port but a USB version is slowly progressing."

6 of 226 comments (clear)

  1. Been there, done that by blamanj · · Score: 2, Informative

    Hmmm. I guess he never heard of Doug Engelbart. (Inventor of the "chord" keyboard, along with the mouse.)

  2. this isn't new.... by csguy314 · · Score: 2, Informative

    at all. We did this in one of our labs with the self-titled cyborg, Dr.Steve Mann, at University of Toronto. It was lab 5... you can see for yourself. The class websites are at....

    http://eyetap.org/ece385/

    http://wearcam.org/ece385/

    if you know a little about device drivers, then this isn't very hard...

    --
    This is left as an exercise for the reader.
    1. Re:this isn't new.... by EvilFrog · · Score: 2, Informative

      Yet another person who didn't read the site...

      He never claimed the concept was new. He refers to the Twiddler on the site, for example. It's just that it has several improvements that none, not even yours, have had to date.

      It does not need to be supported by your fingers to hold it, but rather hooks over your hand. It uses the middle part of your fingers to type as well as the tips. It requires barely any movement to press a key, reducing strain on the hand.

      For these improvements he got a patent. Not the concept of a one-handed keyboard.

  3. Re:games by slutdot · · Score: 4, Informative

    Have you looked at Belkin's Nostromo n50 Speedpad? I use this for most games and it work pretty well once you get used to it.

  4. Upward Stroke Possibilities by limekiller4 · · Score: 2, Informative

    While I wholeheartedly applaud this guy's efforts, I think he's missing the possibilities of using the upward motion of the finger as well as the downward. That having been said, I think this is fantastic. This might push me over the edge to ditch my 19" trinitron for some glasses.

    For those who don't want to go through NYT, you can go right to his site at chordite.com.

    --
    My .02,
    Limekiller
  5. Some prior art for ya.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative
    Home: Input Devices: Hand / keyboard

    HandyKey Twiddler 2The Twiddler2 is a pocket-sized mouse pointer plus a full-function keyboard in a single unit that fits neatly in either right or left hand. The Twiddler2 plugs into both keyboard and mouse PS/2 ports on any computer that accepts standard PS/2 mouse and keyboard input. WearClam: A Wearable Input InterfaceThe WearClam is an wearable Input device, developed for those situations where you need keyboard-like input nearly all the time. It is an ergonomic ring which resembles a real Clam's shape and as such it could be considered as a wearable interface for a wearable computer. L3 Systems WristPC KeyboardL3 Systems has developed the WristPC Keyboard for portable and wearable computer applications. The WristPC is a rugged QWERTY keyboard with a standard PC keyboard interface. The housing is a black anodized aluminum. Completely sealed, it can operate in the rain and other harsh environments. Fitaly One-Finger KeyboardThis "keyboard" is optimized for entry with a single finger or with a pen, as is the case on a pen computer or a computer with a touchscreen. The Fitaly One-Finger Keyboard minimizes pen or finger travel as well as hand travel. Tactex smart fabric technologyTactex's Smart Fabric technology enables the manufacture of both expressive and rugged control surfaces, which can be presented in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and surface finishes. A retail product, the MTC Express, is about the size of a mouse pad, and is produced for Mac and Windows platforms. Senseboard virtual keyboardSenseboard (tm) is a virtual keyboard, designed for the millions of mobile computer users, struggling with their tiny or nonexistent keyboards when trying to communicate or type. The VK hand mounted devices allow the user to type on any surface as if it were a keyboard. Sensors in the units measure the finger movements and artificial intelligence and a language processor determine appropriate keystrokes or mouse movements. Thunbscript Input DevicesThumbscript (TM) is a patented universal text entry system for mobile people and devices. Equally at home with Pen based devices like the Palm Pilot and keypad devices like your telephone or TV controller, Thumbscript offers users a single system that is simple, inexpensive to implement and easy to use because it is visual. FrogPad keyboardThe "FrogPad" is a 19-key device that uses patented simultaneous key function change technology to emulate a full-size keyboard, and requires a fraction of the physical space. Kord Interface TechnologyKord (R) Interface Technology (Kord [R] IT)is a suite of hardware and software that creates "an ambidextrous, chordic Human Machine Interface HMI, suitable for any computing device". Essential Reality P5 GloveTo digitally "walk" through an online room or actually "pick up" objects in a video game requires the ability to manipulate in three-dimensions. Not through complicated keystrokes but by the simple movement of your hand in space.