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geekhack Community => Ergonomics => Topic started by: Aristonaut on Tue, 24 January 2017, 00:52:48

Title: Handheld keyboard
Post by: Aristonaut on Tue, 24 January 2017, 00:52:48

I like the idea of the alphagrip, but the execution was too... liberal in changes from the norm. I am tempted to try getting 2 twiddler3's and doing a custom layout that has each half of the keyboard on each hand. That way you could, in theory, keep about the same layout without sacrificing as much speed. It would be especially nice for programming in bed... I seem to always slide down till the keyboard is on my tummy with my wrists at the worst angle ever. I wouldn't mind a connected game-style controller either. I can use one of those for hours  ;)

Anyway, thoughts? Experience? If you got em.

Title: Re: Handheld keyboard
Post by: Aristonaut on Tue, 24 January 2017, 01:14:18

Oh, gosh! The twiddler is $200 a piece?!
That's crazy. May have to make my own thing...

Title: Re: Handheld keyboard
Post by: Findecanor on Tue, 24 January 2017, 09:11:43

That sounds like "backtyping". There have been a bunch of projects like those before but only a handful have been made into products. (Copying from one of my own posts:)
* TREWgrip (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/trewgrip/trewgrip-mobile-qwerty-the-next-evolution-in-typin)
* Octodon (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/octodon/octodon)
* The AlphaUI (http://www.alphaui.com/en/) (Edit: Link does not work anymore)
* The RearType (http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/10/microsoft-research-reveals-reartype-puts-qwerty-back-where-it-b/) from Microsoft's research-division. (they make lots of things that never find their way to production)
* The Grippity (http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/08/grippity-back-typing-keyboard-hands-on/).

Title: Re: Handheld keyboard
Post by: Aristonaut on Wed, 25 January 2017, 09:52:06

Ok, yeah. I guess that is super close to what I am picturing. Keeping the stagger is kinda a mistake, though. With your hands less free to move from side to side, I imagine you would need a layout closer to a Planck with a thumbshift. It may even be good to remove the numrow in favor of a fn layer numpad... Thanks for the insight. It's good to see other designs and what they did right/wrong.

Title: Re: Handheld keyboard
Post by: Findecanor on Wed, 25 January 2017, 14:34:32

I agree. Your finger tips are aligned differently when the fingers are stretched compared to when they are gripping something.