Hackaday · Creativity & design

Google Japan Unveils Conveyor Belt Keyboard

Google Japan has developed a novel, impractical keyboard concept: a conveyor belt system that brings the keys to the user.

The keyboard features four staggered rows of keys, each constructed from 3D-printed chains holding mechanical key switches and driven by a motor. Flexible PCBs are integrated into each row to maintain wiring.

The method for transmitting key presses from the conveyor belt to a computer is currently unspecified, with the build guide listing this detail as 'TBD' and the source code appearing incomplete.

While the project is likely a joke, the release of STLs and a build guide has sparked interest in finding a functional solution, with potential ideas including microcontrollers or RFID tags.

This keyboard follows Google Japan's history of unusual keyboard designs, such as a rotary-phone-style keyboard.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.