I was thinking of something like the connector often used for WiFi antennas, example, but obviously not these, just the mechanism. Can't think of a better example now.
ah gotcha. The problem with anything using a connector or connectors on the end is bulk especially since I actually have very little room for cutouts for connectors, hence why I've been taking a hard look at the FPC cabling.
There isn't a lot of plastic left on the edges of those plates. I'd be afraid those would break pretty easily, especially in a travel situation or when someone starts swapping out keyswitches or even just popping open switches for spring changes. Keep those safety factors in place!
I've done a number of totally on purpose (
) ) drop tests and I have yet to damage the sides of the plates, and thats with using PLA which is a more brittle plastic than ABS. That being said there will still be stress testing once I've gotten the injection molded parts to ensure they'll take the abuse before I sell them. Maybe I'll put a couple of prototypes in a pelican and fly with Alaska again
.
I understand that.
Is it feasible that a curved variant could reuse components from the first campaign?
That would be the aim, that you could upgrade instead of having to replace.
I totally agree. As I sit here on a Kinesis typing this I am realizing that I am part of a niche market. I can't even type on a flat keyboard anymore. I bought the duel legend keys for Dvorak as well. Hard to change when you have to use these for typing for work everyday. The time to change and the drop in performance for your employment is scary. Still even the change of the thumb keys is extraordinary for someone that hurts daily.
I am really excited about this project. How sad that the standard QWERTY keyboard has become... well, the standard. It would be so easy for multinational keyboard manufacturers such as Logitech to mass-produce affordable symmetrical layout keyboards and yet they don't, it's so pathetic. I take my hat off to AcidFire and truly hope his keyboard starts a revolution.
I'm surprised that a nifty company like Matias, who obviously has some great ideas and products, hasn't jumped on this bandwagon yet. Or even some of the bigger guys like DAS or Leopold or Ducky who obviously cater to the keyboard enthusiast. From this community it is obvious to see that the "one size fits all" keyboard mentality should become a thing of the past. But it's all about numbers. When there are literally millions of people buying the same ****ty qwerty staggered keyboards because that is all they know and they don't know any better, there is no impetus for the big companies to change a thing. Quite frankly, even the thousands upon thousands of people who are experiencing repetitive motion injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome don't realize how really stupid the standard qwerty keyboard design is in modern day. I'm preaching to the choir, though, with this audience.
Projects like the ErgoDox and this one are long overdue. Unfortunately, even the efforts that have gone before, like Maltron and Kinesis, have been largely relegated to the obscurity of the niche ergonomics market and are only known to those who have already had to get treatment for the poor keyboarding ergonomics left to us by the inventors of the modern typewriter.
As an engineer it is very frustrating to see the masses out there continue to be duped into using inferior designed products purely for the reason that they are the established norm. It is an uphill battle.
Stepping off my soap box now.....
Keep up the great work, Acidfire. What I like about your efforts here are that you are really trying to make this a production level effort that is customize-able and user configurable. The opportunities for scaling this project up seem to really be there. If you end up starting a company that continues to innovate....I'll invest.
I had a discussion today at work with the company MD about RSI and carpal tunnel syndrome. He didn`t believe a keyboard or mouse has anything to do with it, it`s solely bad posture...just to say that even educated persons can be ignorant on this.
I do find it strange that companies spend dollars on creating ergonomical equipment for the hard labour in their factories, however they find it weird if asked for ergonomical equipment for those who sit at a desk all day.
I work in IT and got a decent chair, but I always get a strange look when I propose something as a Maltron or even a Natural Keyboard 4000, not to say a standing desk.
I applaud this initiative and hope for successful commercialisation of the Axios.
And keep researching and developing...
First, and always, the support of this community means the world to me and these posts always make my day, thank you
I think a lot of the reason that up until now companies haven't taken a chance on this sort of thing is potential cost. For my own setup for what I'm doing the budget required is staggering, and I know for a smaller company like Matias it would be difficult to take on as well. Remember as well that most companies buy PCs in a box from places like Dell, and in order for those manufacturers to beat out the competition they have to go as cheap as possible, including a crappy membrane keyboard.
The other major issue is perception. What I've found from the events where people are able to see even the basic layout is how different it looks to a standard keyboard, until you show them that not only is it no different than their regular keyboard, it's also a much more comfortable position. Then the lightbulb clicks on and you can see them really start to think about what a difference it could make in their lives. What I hear quite a bit as well when I show people the Kinesis/Maltron bowl shapes is that it's too intimidating, too scifi, too weird, etc etc. which is also why I'm not starting with a curve, too much of an uphill battle. That's also why I'd like the curve to be something you could upgrade to do the road, make it easier for people to take the first step.
Now, enough with the wordy stuff. While the shape still requires some polish (not so boxy) and I have to design the wrist rest & tenting stand (my gear 2 neo will have to stand in for now), I've finally gotten a rough unit together.
To start, I've made a few changes to the thumb cluster hinges (new on the left, old on the right):
so while the previous design allowed for angle & a little distance, this new setup provides, angle, distance & height.
This has culminated into...
Axios Transform!
(The dreamer/masochist in me spent a disturbing amount of time wondering if I could motorize it
)
Not only is the thumb cluster adjustable, so is the f-row of keys. So you can pack it up flat for travel, and open it up when you get there. Speaking of travel, I know many of you had asked for a solid board in part because you wanted to travel with it. I've also heard concerns about the thickness of it (I've had them myself), so here's a comparison to my QFR TK:
This is the front edge of the QFR TK compared to the Axios (which is uniform in height when flat)
While this is the back edge of the QFR, and the Axios comes in at a smaller height.
Also worth noting is that with the exception of the thumb cluster Axios comes in at a slightly shorter depth.
Now for a little hands on.
Reaching for the F row.
And for those of you with smaller hands, I also had my minion at work try it as well.
Her fingers are more than an inch shorter than mine and she still finds it comfortable (tho it definitely needs the wrist rest).
I'll be ordering new PCBs tonight (need to update the design for the FPC connectors) and spending the weekend working on the tenting, wrist rest and io plates, so hopefully there should be more updates in the next few days.
