Multi-legend RGB modifier controlled key caps

[jalli]

Today I had an idea, I think it's a good idea.

It would be pretty cool to have key legends that you can change, unfortunately having an LCD/OLED in every key is pretty expensive and complicated.

But there is a simpler way, let's start with a keyboard that has RGB diode back-light, does not need to have individual diodes per key, could just use a diffuser and back-light the whole thing.

Assuming we can now control the color of our back-light, let's create some funky key caps, for example a double shot black ABS key cap with a red-translucent legend, because the red-translucent legend acts as a red light filter it will only let red light through, blue and green will be blocked.

Let's take this a bit further, let's say we have a quad shot key cap, black with one red translucent legend, one blue translucent and one green translucent. We can now control the legend shown depending on the back-light.

Now we hook up the modifier keys to the back-light, normal back-light is blue, press CTRL and the keyboard back-light goes red, hit ALT and it goes green and as this happens the keyboard legends change.

I have never seen quad shot key caps, triple shot are possible but perhaps the only way to get quad shot would be using 3D printing.

I have attached a very simple mock-up animated gif.

I think this would be pretty cool project for a keyboard/cap design if people are interested, here are the things we would need to figure out:

1. Figure out which keyboards to modify or if some already exist with a controllable RGB back-light.
2. Back-light, figure out which RGB diodes to use, one diode per key or diffuser, figure out how to hook these up to a controller.
3. Key caps, figure out how to make quad shot keys, design a set of legends, perhaps one showing extended Colemak keys, or application specific, Photoshop layout, etc.

Thoughts, comments?

[frogamic]

I have also been thinking this exact same thing, seems like it should work, the difficulty would probably lie in quad-shotting the keys, and deciding on 3 layouts that enough people want to get the keys made.

[jalli]

I have also been thinking this exact same thing, seems like it should work, the difficulty would probably lie in quad-shotting the keys, and deciding on 3 layouts that enough people want to get the keys made.

In regards to layouts, if there is a way to do quad shots then we would have to figure out some set of layouts that are popular enough, on the other hand if the only way do to quad ABS turns out to be 3D printing, then in theory we could just make a web based config tool and each person could choose their own legends.
The legends that I think would probably be most popular are:

• QWERTY + Game X
• QWERTY + Photoshop
• QWERTY + MacOSX
• QWERTY + Windows
• QWERTY + Vim
• QWERTY + Emacs
• Colemack
• Dvorak

[ijprest]

You'll also need to make sure the light frequencies generated by your backlight are the same as those absorbed / transmitted by your translucent bits.  Otherwise, even the legends that are supposed to be "off" will be faintly glowing.

[Photekq]

Even if this works, the problem will lie in the quadshots.

Without the proper (extremely expensive) injection moulding equipment it would be near impossible to make them yourself.

It would be very hard to find a company that already owns the equipment and is willing to do the work for you, as most companies draw the line at doubleshot.

Even if you can find a company, the moulds would be very expensive.

And even if you find a company, then have the moulds made, it would still be very expensive to have the keycaps produced as quad-shot keycaps are harder for them to make.

[FoxWolf1]

Would you have to use actual quad-shot keycaps?

What about using a relegendable keycap with opaque sides but a translucent top, kind of like a relegendable version of a partially-made old-style Deck keycap (like, before they put on the top bit). Then what you do is you make little squares of black construction paper or something with the legends cut out, and then glue little bits of appropriately colored cellophane over the legends. Place in cap cellophane-side down, put on the removable clear top bit that relegendable keycaps use, and enjoy.

[jalli]

I think you might be on to something here, if we could make the key caps all doubleshot, with one translucent material and then have a quad color filter wheel or something of that sort that could be attached, could we perhaps place the filter inside the cap around the stem?

Would you have to use actual quad-shot keycaps?

What about using a relegendable keycap with opaque sides but a translucent top, kind of like a relegendable version of a partially-made old-style Deck keycap (like, before they put on the top bit). Then what you do is you make little squares of black construction paper or something with the legends cut out, and then glue little bits of appropriately colored cellophane over the legends. Place in cap cellophane-side down, put on the removable clear top bit that relegendable keycaps use, and enjoy.

[Findecanor]

I am not entirely sure that it would work. I don't think that a red filter would block blue or green completely.
Ordinary LEDs are not completely monochromatic either. If you look at the wavelength-amplitude graphs in LED datasheets, you will see bumps, not spikes. To get only one wavelength from a LED, you would need laser-LEDs (I think those are monochromatic ... ) and a diffuser to spread the light evenly inside the keycap.

It would be great if it did work well, though. I have had a small gizmo in mind that I would like to build to use the same principle.

[jalli]

Hmm, well what I was counting on was the filters to only let through a fairly narrow band, then the LEDs could emit a wider spectrum assuming it would not be so wide as to cross from the red to green or green to blue. Another thought is that this would not have to be 100% effective, if the light level was only at 5% it would hardly be visible and it would still serve it's purpose. As to spreading the the light inside the cap, I'm not familiar enough with backlight design to know how this is traditionally done or if it's typically only pointed at the translucent area of the key cap.

I am not entirely sure that it would work. I don't think that a red filter would block blue or green completely.
Ordinary LEDs are not completely monochromatic either. If you look at the wavelength-amplitude graphs in LED datasheets, you will see bumps, not spikes. To get only one wavelength from a LED, you would need laser-LEDs (I think those are monochromatic ... ) and a diffuser to spread the light evenly inside the keycap.

It would be great if it did work well, though. I have had a small gizmo in mind that I would like to build to use the same principle.