Pedal activated function layer

[nubbinator]

This is a weird idea that popped into my head today.  Would it be possible to mod a keyboard to have a bluetooth or wired pedal that you could press to activate the function layer or even the Ctrl and/or Alt modifiers?  It seems to me that a lot of the issues I run into with Function layers or Ctrl/Alt/Ctrl+Alt are that they cause my hands to be contorted into less than comfortable positions.  If I could make a wireless pedal that handled those abstractions, it would make a keyboard easier to type with. 

[OverKill]

I think the Maltron and/or the Kinesis do this but I am not 100% sure maybe someone can clarify.

[dorkvader]

I think the Maltron and/or the Kinesis do this but I am not 100% sure maybe someone can clarify.

kinesis has a footswitch yes.

You could do it with a soarer converter, it has pins available for up to three hardwired switches. Soarer controller of course is easy just wire it up with the rest of the switches.

Not sure about wireless/BT. might be easier to just have both devices talk to the same computer and do the switching in software.

[Melvang]

If you are just want to use standard mods on the foot pedals it shouldn't need to be made to function with the keyboard itself.  When I hit shift on my orbweaver, standard keyboard (yet to test with PS2 connected keyboard) or one of the side buttons on my Naga, it seems to function global.  I can hit shift on the Orbweaver and my Das will type capitals.  Since ctrl and alt are actual key codes being sent to the PC as well as shift, to my knowledge at least, it should work.  Though function layers are completely field in the keyboards firmware, so that would have to interact with the keyboard itself.

Please take this with a grain of salt but this seems to me how it would work out.

[dorkvader]

If you are just want to use standard mods on the foot pedals it shouldn't need to be made to function with the keyboard itself.  When I hit shift on my orbweaver, standard keyboard (yet to test with PS2 connected keyboard) or one of the side buttons on my Naga, it seems to function global.  I can hit shift on the Orbweaver and my Das will type capitals.  Since ctrl and alt are actual key codes being sent to the PC as well as shift, to my knowledge at least, it should work.  Though function layers are completely field in the keyboards firmware, so that would have to interact with the keyboard itself.

Please take this with a grain of salt but this seems to me how it would work out.

^This is what I meant to have it do the switching in software.

[nubbinator]

Do you know of any switches that are two part switches?  It would be awesome to have pressure sensitive switches so you could have light pressure be Ctrl and heavy pressure be Ctrl+Alt or Ctrl+Shift.

Of course, I have no clue where I would even begin with something like this.

[dorkvader]

Do you know of any switches that are two part switches?  It would be awesome to have pressure sensitive switches so you could have light pressure be Ctrl and heavy pressure be Ctrl+Alt or Ctrl+Shift.

Of course, I have no clue where I would even begin with something like this.

Some typewriters have two-part switches, but they are usually super heavy for the second stage. Marquardt butterfly is one example. Haata has pictures.

It would be easier, cheaper and most likely better to get a magnet and a hall effect sensor though. Or build in a second switch to only actuate at the bottomout of the pedal stroke.

If you look at Parak's IBM pedal (soooooo cool) you can see that it was made to rock back and forth. That's another option, but you might need to do some DIY to get the pedal working like that.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/13176014@N03/sets/72157647626235406/