[IC] Plateau | Wristrest Concept

[Ustinj]

PLATEAU
a wristrest concept by jjw

Hello, Here is an interest check for a wrist rest concept I am working on. Big thanks to my awesome gf Shannie for encouraging me and inspiring me, and to dandruff for keeping me on the grind, and everyone who has shown interest in my projects (motivation!). Feedback and suggestions are appreciated. Please consider filling out the IC form, as this is a WIP and some things can still change (for that reason, do ignore the stainless steel R0 badge).

https://forms.gle/F16og5TgjEsJBsz98



Background

Wrist rests are divisive. It's commonly cited that wrist rests can encourage bad typing habits, and that proper typing should be done with hovered wrists. That being said, there's an undeniable demographic of people who continue to rest their wrists while typing... directly on the deskmat. Sometimes, I find myself partaking in this carpal-tunnel-inducing sin as well.

A while back I picked up a simple wooden wrist rest designed for 60% keyboards, and considered why I didn't use it more often. It looked a bit cheap with its unfinished wood and chipped edges, not to mention the fact that it took up even more precious desk real-estate. These were some of the issues that I wanted to tackle with this design. And of course, I just have the tendency to want blocks of finely-CNC'd aluminum sitting on my desk.


Details

• Price: Targeting <$150
• Materials: Targeting Aluminum, Polycarbonate, Brass/Copper/Stainless Steel (TBD)
• Dimensions: 60% (294mm x 72mm x 18.8mm), 65/75% (314mm x 72mm x 18.8mm), TKL (355mm x 72mm x 18.8mm)
• Colors: Silver, Black/Dark Grey, Beige, Mint?, Pink?, Blue(TBD)

Design

Plateau is a wrist rest available in three dimensions - 60%, 65%/75%, and TKL. These are designed with fixed dimensions in mind, so it may or may not be a perfect match with your keyboard depending on bezel thickness and other variances. Most importantly, I designed the 60% variant to match the width of my HHKB perfectly.

Plateau's general design is, for the most part, versatile. Considering a wrist rest can be paired up with a variety of different boards throughout the day, I decided to keep the profile of Plateau as simple and agreeable as possible. It's a plain wedge design with an 18.8mm rear-height, with a lip tapering towards the front for both aesthetics and comfort. There is a separate top piece that stimulates the eyeballs and provides options for different stylings while being able to take advantage of bulk numbers.


(meta)

More

Hey, it opens too! Wanted to keep this section in a collapsed hidden section as a bit of a meta joke (like the company that lost 70% of its market cap), referencing Plateau's design. This might give a bit more insight into the expected price. Note: since this is a WIP and mostly a concept, ignore the "R0" badge - that will be changed if a full scale GB runs.

I figured I wanted to make a wrist rest that had a bit more utility than being a block of metal or plastic on my desk - that way it could be of use, even when not in use. Though it's not an entirely convenient use of space (a shoebox design would probably be more space-efficient), I was excited about the idea of dynamic and moving parts.

Plateau's design involves an extra internal piece, not only to provide some visual diversity, but also to implement a swiveling hinge without having to plop visible screws or holes directly into the side.

Plateau is built with a combination of materials to not only look interesting, but feel good. A translucent color-matched polycarbonate top was chosen for those who might feel uncomfortable resting their wrists on cold aluminum. That being said, there will be at least one full-aluminum option for those who prefer that look.

The internals of Plateau feature an assortment of small compartments to temporarily store different items. My initial intent was for Plateau to be a keyboard-modding/building station, so the compartments are sized conveniently to store switch pullers, keycap pullers, paintbrushes, screws, and more. There's a hole there, so you can prop up a paintbrush. Though the compartments can also serve to store some pens, pencils (apple pencil), etc.

There's padding strips on the rear of the wrist rest to ensure you can push it into your boards without aluminum-on-aluminum impact. There's also strips on the left/right of the lid to prevent the lid from slamming shut, as well as lightly friction-fit the lid shut. There's a light spring ball-detent help give the lid a bit of rigidity when in an open position, preventing it from accidentally falling shut.

Project Timeline / Status

• Prototype 1 (complete)
• Prototype 2 (in progress)
• Round 0 limited in-stock
• Full GB if there is interest

I've already got the very first prototypes, but have changed the internal design drastically so I won't bother to share here. I can confirm that the hinge design works as expected, though my prototypes are full-aluminum. Will have to test polycarbonate to ensure it works as expected without warping or any other issues. I do plan to do a small in-stock initial run with the featured "R0" badge soon after I confirm with updated prototypes.


Let me know your thoughts and opinions, and consider filling out the IC if interested. Thank you!


Links

IC Form: https://forms.gle/F16og5TgjEsJBsz98

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/XPEFcn8

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjw_kb

[Meepergon]

Awesome, as an avid wrist rest enjoyer, I'm looking forward to see how this goes!

[LMarci]

Very pretty

[k-dub]

I don't use a wrist rest but this is really neat. Will definitely follow this project.

[Jecxz]

i'll take 6

[mcmcmc]

interesting concept, i count me in. glwic

[infinitum]

sheeeesh. GLWIC!

[ankit]

in for one! 

[wencan008]

Sign me up

[Kokaloo]

in for one hundred! 

[lvl2cow]

[novelflyer]

I really want one, this looks cool 

[Friendship]

very very cool. I use wrist rests while gaming and while using programs so its great for preventing strain during those times. looking forward to this!

[YoungManKim]

Haven't really been a fan of wrist rests lately, but this one looks really interesting! GLWIC

[PinkCynicism]

I definitely understand what people say about hovered wrists, but I absolutely prefer a wristrest while gaming so this is just gorgeous. Is the pink tone teased planned to be a rose gold or more of a baby pink?