Would allow more emotive typing that more closely matches the way we speak. Subtle emphasis that doesn't rise up to the level of bold, capitalized or italicized words could still make the writing feel a little more like speech.
The thickness increase would vary as you typed progressively harder so you'd lead in and out of emphasized words the way you actually talk.
People would know when you were typing while angry and after people got used to typing this way, mono thickness type might seem sort of droning and lifeless.
Not sure if it would be worth it but it would certainly be easy enough to do. Musical keyboards already have this feature and can you imagine music without the dynamic range variable pressure keys supply? It might be the same with typing.-- doctorremulac3, Jul 06 2010 Found it http://www.davidszo...ure/robot/voder.htmIt's called the Voder. And how cool is the webpage art? [doctorremulac3, Jul 07 2010] I wonder what pressure sensing keyboard keys would have made of this http://www.chiefspl...thread.php?t=137670Look at the GIF animation about half way down [Ling, Jul 07 2010] Variable_20density_20font [hippo, Jul 08 2010] Yessish. But when I type, the force with which I hit the keys depends partly on which keys they are (and hence which finger I'm using). So I suspect this might be difficult to get used to.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 06 2010 Yea, I thought about that and you might need to calibrate it for each user too. Just have the person type in "calmly and evenly" "The quick brown fox..etc" and use that as the starting point. However hard the key was hit, that's zero from which any additional pressure beyond that would be measured.
Like I said, not sure this would be a good idea but then again it might be kind of cool.-- doctorremulac3, Jul 06 2010 I think it would be difficult - I'm generally thinking a few words ahead of where the typing fingers are. Thus, I suspect the emphasis would be misplaced. Maybe.-- lurch, Jul 06 2010 It would be really great fun, THOUGH.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 06 2010 [MB] //The force with which I hit the keys depends partly on which keys they are (and hence which finger I'm using)// Electric typewriters encourage lazy typing; on a manual, you had to control the force with which you struck the keys: otherwise, "a" was always lighter on the page than "d."
This would require a similar skill, but more nuanced. I suspect it would be about as easy to acquire as piano- playing (i.e. not easy at all, but worth the effort). [+]-- mouseposture, Jul 06 2010 MaYbE tHE TrAiNEer vERsiOn JuSt ChaNgEs cAsE, wHich WoUlD PrObaBlY BE qUitE dIFFIcuLt aT fIRsT.-- Ling, Jul 07 2010 I actually tried that. Doesn't sell the concept too well.
I think it would look mOORe like thIS. And when you EMPHasised something it or got vERY emPHATIc or reALLy reALLY ANGry it would thicken up. Pretty much like when you speak.
The capitals are too distracting to get the idea across though.
There's actually a technique for notating inflection to writing that voice over actors use. In their scripts they'll notate how they're supposed to speak the word like: "New Crunchy Balls O' Cheese" (excited, exuberant) "Delicious and more fun than fun itself." (Now drop down, serious, almost whispering) "Registered scientific scientist have proven scientifically that Balls O' Cheese delivers 3 different cheeses to your cheese zone" (Loud again) "So next time you're at the supermarket, reach down and grab Balls O' Cheese!" (whisper disclaimer) extensive scientific testing on lab rats has determined that Balls o' Cheese should not be consumed by lab rats.
They even add up and down symbols to specific words. Might even add some kind of foot pedal or tilt keys into the setup that would indicate the timber going up or down. You might begin to see very talented typists that emote on a whole new level. It could add a new art form to the very old art of writing.
Old texts could be re-interpreted like a poet skillfully reading Shakespeare. I can read Shakespeare but it sounds like "Buttsoft. What? Light breaks. Through yonder window?" A skilled "emotivetypist" might get it across the way the writer really wanted it.
However it's approached, it would interesting to try to bridge the big gulf between the typewritten word and how we actually speak.-- doctorremulac3, Jul 07 2010 How about a pressure-sensitive wrist rest? It would only require one sensor, and the difference in the finger strength wouldn't have to be trained in...-- Cedar Park, Jul 07 2010 I need to find a link of the keyboard controlled speech synthesizer somebody made in the 1930s or so. I believe it had a wrist controller or foot pedal and 3 or 4 keys on each hand that the user manipulated to create analog speech.
It had a white noise generator to create the "breath" then pressing the various keys filtered this to make a, e, i, o, u sounds. Then I guess they had some kind of oscillator bank to make consonant sounds. Brilliant idea that just didn't have any real use, but some of these controls might be applied to the concept of humanized text input.
As bigsleep pointed out, thought is being given to this and I wouldn't be surprised if something like this might come out in the future.
I'll look for that talking machine to post the link.-- doctorremulac3, Jul 07 2010 Can I have the software automatically terminate KeyCreator (shite CAD program) when I bash several keys repeatedly?-- Twizz, Jul 07 2010 I like the idea, but feel that voice (and/or foot pressure)-altering might work better - i.e. saying "Bold" or "Italic" and pressing a pad at the same time.-- Dub, Jul 07 2010 //Can I have the software automatically terminate KeyCreator (shite CAD program) when I bash several keys repeatedly?//
There's something I thought of that never caught on where you type 67 then tyu under in then fghjk under that and vbn under that. It's what might show up on screen if you passed out and planted your face in the keyboard. You'd type it if you were being sarcastic about something being boring.
So somebody would write: "Did you get my pictures of the hamster's birthday party?" and you'd send back.
67
tyu
fghj
bn
You can see why it never caught on. What actually shows up if you smash your face on the keyboard is: gvnyb or something like that. Depends on how hard and where you hit it. But if you passed out you'd obviously not hit send after any more than you'd write "Arrrrggghhh" while you were dying. Not to mention you wouldn't hit the return key after each section of your face hit the keyboard.
It doesn't work on many levels.-- doctorremulac3, Jul 07 2010 big fat BUN! [[+]]-- xandram, Jul 07 2010 [dr3], I linked to a little animation that sums up periodic frustration at the keboard.-- Ling, Jul 07 2010 //[dr3], I linked to a little animation that sums up periodic frustration at the keboard.//
That's the single funniest little gif I've ever seen. That animation needs it's own designated key. FS (face smash)
Somebody's sense of humor's as sick as mine.-- doctorremulac3, Jul 07 2010 Keep all your css/font transfromations aside. I have a better application for such a keyboard: Gaming! how many times have you knocked into a wall in a race game and wished you could control how much you turned. Well, turning can be controlled using a gamer's steering wheel. Think about fps games: crouching(release the pressure on "c" just a bit to take a peak), jumping, running, firing, etc..
Also- It would make a nice Synthesizer-ish keyboard as well!-- kamathln, Jul 07 2010 [+] Lovely idea. It also occurs to me that the other aspect of typing that might be used to vary the font is speed. Again it would have to be calibrated to take into account the users "Normal" typing rate, but consider a system where fast typing gave you <i>forward slanted italics</i>, and slow gave backward. Angle of slant could be modified by rate. I tend to pause after ". " so its probably a good idea to exclude certain entry states from the rate calculation.-- RattyBunyip, Jul 08 2010 random, halfbakery