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I read the original bakery idea for a 'Marble Keyboard' recently. However, a keyboard made of stone wasn't exactly what I had in mind.
I propose a keyboard where each 'key' is a glass marble. Naturally, this allows keys to be swapped around. This is handy when sharing a computer between QWERTY
and Dvorak users, international students or espionage agents ("...these marbles will self-destruct in 60 seconds").
It opens up the potentional for collectable sets of keys, (e.g. pokemon, super-heroes, iraqi officials, etc). However this might be the first keyboard with an age limit of 3+, on account of the 'choking hazard'.
How it works.
============
Each key would be a glass marble of a unique colour. The 'body' of the keyboard would contain a keyboard-like array of hemi-spherical 'holes', not unlike an egg tray. A light-sensor in each hole would identify the current marble according the wavelength of light transmitted. Key presses would, likewise, be registered as brief changes by the light-sensors.
The final result would lie somewhere between input device and executive desk-toy. In deference to the previous marble-keyboard idea, the body of the keyboard can be an elegant, marble edifice, if so desired...
The original 'Marble Keyboard' idea
http://www.halfbake...a/Marble_20Keyboard
Stylish, but rather heavy [riposte, Oct 04 2004]
anyplace you wanna stick 'em keys
http://www.halfbake...tick_20_27em_20keys
"*the keys can be anywhere*" [phoenix, Oct 04 2004]
custom keyboard layouts
http://www.halfbake...0keyboard_20layouts
[phoenix, Oct 04 2004]
Legoboard
http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Legoboard
Physically remappable keyboard [phoenix, Oct 04 2004]
Re-mappable keyboard
http://www.halfbake...mappable_20keyboard
[phoenix, Oct 04 2004]
Virtual Keyboard
http://www.halfbake.../Virtual_20Keyboard
[phoenix, Oct 04 2004]
[link]
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//Each key would be a glass marble of a unique colour.//
OK, I know that there are more colours than keys on a keyboard, but can you really distinguish over 100 of them sufficiently well? |
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I imagine that the spherical shape and a hard surface of the marble would cause a certain amount of discomfort. Therefore, I suggest that the keyboard contact be a feathertouch one, so that the necessary impact on the digits is minimised. |
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Link, link, link, link and link. |
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[angel] An average spectrophotometer can distinguish millions of distinct wavelengths, so I would not expect it to be a problem. |
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[rip] I think [angel] means the user. |
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[silverstormer] The marble colours are not for the benefit of the user (apart from aesthetically). The user can distinguish each 'key' by the character printed on it. |
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So the key tops would be convex? That sounds uncomfortable, feathertouch or not. Pretty, though. |
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I think this is more about looking cool than feeling good. |
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Make them out of candy coated chocolate and you'd have a whole new meaning for hunt-and-peck typing. |
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I'd hate to accidentally knock the keyboard off of my desk... it is hard to find all your marbles once lost. The cats punting them under the stove makes it all
the more difficult. I'd recommend that the cup be able to suction onto the marble. |
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The suction idea will also keep all the letters/numbers facing up, rather than rolling over to the side at the first keypress. |
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Well, pretty cool, but... It will take power to recognize signals, y not go all out. Have the "keyboard" be projected as a hologram and let the hologram be programmable. When you change the key locations the program updates the sensors that sense your fingers on the keys. Not only changeable keys but also less space as the projector would be small and unobtrousive when turned off. Of course the technology might take a while so in the mean time...
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