I'm refocusing my efforts on a much simpler project. Will possibly revisit this in the future.
Hi all!
The Ergodox is the standard ergonomic keyboard, however many of its users feel it's not quite what they want. Two of the more frequent complaints about the dox seem to be the thumb cluster and lack of keycap compatibility. There have been entire threads dedicated to discussing how to solve these problems (
the thumb thread has been around for years, and
I took a stab at the keycap problem, unsuccessfully, last May). After tossing around ideas in my head for a year or so, I'm thinking I'd like to prototype an ergodox-inspired keyboard as opposed to screaming into the wind waiting for someone else to do it.
Here's what I have in mind:
This keyboard would be completely supported by 'normal' key kits (minus maybe the short shift, but that is becoming increasingly more common). I'm particularly thinking about keys that often appear in GMK sets. Because of the mismatching profiles, I think it might be advisable to occasionally hold GBs for the thumb keys like
GMK Terminal is doing now.. but it would be completely compatible with most kits without an extra GB.
I have addressed the thumb cluster problem in a way that I think will be easy to adapt from the standard Ergodox design. All of the keys that would require extension/retropulsion of your thumb have been removed. The two 2u keys will remain in their current position. One of the bottom row 1u keys has been removed in favor of another thumb key. This one will measure 1.5u for spatial reasons. While I came up with this design while playing around on
layout editor site, there are similar mockups in the thumb thread. I expect this change to be a point of either praise or contention. You hit the key by flexing your thumb. Some users may not like this, which is valid. It's not exactly a proper technique. However, I find it natural enough to hit the 1u key under 'M' on a standard ergodox by flexing my thumb. This is less of a flex than that.
Last (sort of), after three ergodoxes, my largest complaint is the interconnect system. It's a point of failure/frustration that is worth the benefits to many ergonomic enthusiasts.. or maybe they haven't experienced issues with the system. For those of you obsessed with a s t h e t i c, the cable that connects to the halves can be a source of annoyance. Regardless of reason, I'd like to do away with that system. Adding a number/macropad in the center allows for a little more ergonomic support for the shoulders by spacing the hands while . It's not nearly as good as the dox, but it'll beat out something like Planck.
Any feedback is welcome! I might do just do this for me, but I'd like to see if there's any interest in the design.