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geekhack Community => Ergonomics => Topic started by: fredsmith2 on Fri, 17 October 2014, 01:50:36
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I'm wondering if their are any keyboard layouts that are optimized to the six strongest fingers on the hands, which are the two thumbs, two index fingers, and two middle fingers.
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Yes there are. I know of a couple of keyboard optimizing programs (that calculate an optimal keyboard based on text bodies or digram analyses):
- MTGAP (written in C)
- Carpalx (written in Perl)
- AdnW (written in C++)
- Keyboard Evolve (by Michael Capewell, written in C++)
I several you can set preferences for fingers. So if you want to use less pinkies, you can give the pinkies a higher penalty.
You can also use the online tool http://patorjk.com/keyboard-layout-analyzer/#/main (http://patorjk.com/keyboard-layout-analyzer/#/main), paste a large chunk of text in it (that is typical for stuff that YOU type) and see how existing layouts like Dvorak, Arensito, Workman, Colemak etc. do and what their fingerload is. You can also change the layouts on line and see if they score better.
Good luck !
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It might not be exactly what you are looking for, but there is the variable weight option among the Realforce keyboards. Where the keys that you press with the ring finger and pinky are easier to press. I have one and quite like it, though I also think that the difference between it and an all-45 grams actuation Topre keyboard is pretty negligible. I hardly notice it (and use both frequently).
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There's also the keytronic ergoforce. Don't quite as nice as the realforce, but cheaper.
The truly ergonomic and the type matrix keyboards both have commonly used keys in the middle.
Maltron, Kinesis and the ergodox make good use of thumbs.
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It would also be possible to use variable weighted springs on Alps or MX switches, but you’d have to take apart the switches and swap them manually. Finding the right springs might also be slightly tricky.
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@fredsmith2 @jacobolus - you see there are two ways to tackle this problem: one is the soft layout, that I thought fredsmith2 was referring to. That means: what letters are assigned to what keys (qwertry, dvorak, etc.). The way other is the hard layout, in other words: in which physical locations are the keys, what kind of switches are used and so on. An Ergodox has a different hand layout than most keyboards, but it may have the same ol' QWERTY soft layout.
You could stick to qwerty and use different switches for the pinkies. Or you could stick to your present keyboard but switch to a soft layout that puts only little used characters under the pinkies. Also, you could do both. Like, buy a Maltron, which has a very differnent had layout AND a different soft layout. Or make an Ergodox, use low pressure leys for the pinkies AND design a matching soft layout (or use an existing one, like Bu-TEK).
Choices, choices :-)
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The logical layout preference depends on hardware configuration.
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@fredsmith2 @jacobolus - you see there are two ways to tackle this problem: one is the soft layout, that I thought fredsmith2 was referring to. That means: what letters are assigned to what keys (qwertry, dvorak, etc.). The way other is the hard layout, in other words: in which physical locations are the keys, what kind of switches are used and so on.
Yeah, we all understood that.
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I use Colemak layout and this layout put strongest fingers (index and middle) to work more than others. See Carpalx layout research to get more information.
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...soft layout... versus.... hard layout... bla bla
Yeah, we all understood that.
I know, sorry for the confusion, it was aimed at casual readers who may not have this distinction clear.