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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: mtourne on Sun, 14 April 2019, 13:58:23

Title: making "keyboard shorts" ?
Post by: mtourne on Sun, 14 April 2019, 13:58:23

Hi geekhackers!

Thinking of building a pretty weird thing : two keyboard pads resting on my thighs so I can type standing up in a very neutral position with arms by my side

I've been thinking about this for a while. Now I own a chimera ortho which seems perfect : https://i.imgur.com/k9fTRsA.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/k9fTRsA.jpg)

I started playing around with drop leg holster thingie https://images.app.goo.gl/1kjhDyo1sfgw8WjeA (https://images.app.goo.gl/1kjhDyo1sfgw8WjeA) made a proof of concept with a switch tester cluster.

For the final thing I'm thinking of using magnets. Drilling into the cork baseplate https://i.imgur.com/Ll4USEI.jpg (https://i.imgur.com/Ll4USEI.jpg) all the way to the pcb and making stacks of small neodymium magnets super glued, or epoxied together so they don't come loose or rip the base plate off (only glued to the pcb). I might also reverse polarity on each half so the two halves would stack nicely for transport and not repel each other

Has anyone heard of anything like this ? I'd love pointers or any kind or just a feasability check

I think the end product will look very goofy ... but it's using magnets so the kb halves keep their visual appeal when not using the thigh straps

Title: Re: making "keyboard shorts" ?
Post by: kiwi99 on Sun, 14 April 2019, 15:27:43

This sounds like it would look very comical in practice :))  is there a specific use case you want this for?

the only hurdle I guess would be finding something with wireless connectivity to be feasible in use.

Title: Re: making "keyboard shorts" ?
Post by: mtourne on Sun, 14 April 2019, 17:59:09

the chimera ortho pictured above is natively wireless, so no problem there

I agree, pretty comical and weird looking. the use case would be working at a stand up desk in the most neutral position possible.
but yeah maybe not a good way to stand out around the office with those gun holsters strapped to my legs

I'm thinking there could be other ways to make it less weird looking. like sewing the magnets on the inside of my everyday pair of jeans for instance

Title: Re: making "keyboard shorts" ?
Post by: cy384 on Sun, 14 April 2019, 23:08:20

I don't have any specific suggestions, but I love the idea, wearable keyboards have strong cyberpunk appeal.  Reminds me a bit of this pic of Phil Hagelberg's Atreus with a strap and display (https://www.flickr.com/photos/technomancy/43692872131/in/album-72157693764043680/).

Edit: more pics (https://www.flickr.com/photos/technomancy/tags/atreusdeck)

Title: Re: making "keyboard shorts" ?
Post by: kiwi99 on Mon, 15 April 2019, 18:16:59

(https://i.pinimg.com/474x/76/4a/9c/764a9cb2abd983d3a246e037247c6658--baggy-pants-trousers.jpg)

Make some pants like this, conceal the keyboard halves... Nothing to see here coworkers.  :p