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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: wolf on Thu, 04 March 2010, 02:04:41

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: wolf on Thu, 04 March 2010, 02:04:41

Been giving the idea of having separate keyboards for each hand some serious thought - especially with a view to having them mounted on the arms of a nice comfortable chair, perhaps even a recliner, so I can rest my own arms comfortably and have the keys under my fingertips.

All the commercial keyboards I have seen that can be separated to that degree are way more expensive than this Kiwi is prepared to pay (or capable of paying) and so I've been thinking about how I can make the system myself on a shoe-string budget.  This, naturally, leads to some logistical nightmares given my starting point is bound to be a couple of relatively inexpensive "standard" keyboards to supply the appropriate halves of the boards.

Has anyone here tried making their own DIY split/separated keyboards or at least thought of some of the logistics of it?

One version I saw used membrane/rubber dome keyboards and just masked up the half of the membrane that was not required and folded it under the backing plate out of the way.  It looked pretty crude but seemed to work OK.

I know from having two USB keyboards plugged into the same computer at work (a standard keyboard for others to use as well as my own "lightly hacked" compact keyboard) that pressing the caps lock or numlock on one affects both.

This tells me that if each of the halves had their own controller board they could both be plugged into the same computer and work in concert, supplying the scan codes for their respective keys, while the one that has the caps lock button set up will affect both boards.

Where it gets untidy is the fact that I tend to use my left hand to work the cursor control keys (usually to move between cells in a spreadsheet) while I use my right hand to enter numbers on the number pad.  Even on my compact keyboard, the cursor control keys are on the right of the board, which means if I merely butcher two keyboards to get the left and right sections, the cursor control keys are going to be on the right-hand segment, far from my left hand.

Any thoughts (aside from the obvious ones regarding me being a lunatic)?

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: Eclairz on Thu, 04 March 2010, 05:17:05

You could get a non membrane keyboard like a cherry mx keyboard and remove each key from the board, and use wires to attach to the main board, mount the keys on some wood(else other cheaply available material) or directly onto the chair. This would use 1 keyboard, mounting materials/tools and wires.

Sounds fairly time consuming, especially if you have to remove each key, buying the keys separately is actually more expensive than buying the keyboard and harvesting the keys, but the time taken to harvest is high.

Also wiring becomes messy unless your organised.

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: Half-Saint on Thu, 04 March 2010, 06:13:23

Sounds like a nightmare to do the wiring yourself...

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 04 March 2010, 07:26:54

I think you are looking for this (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:5379).  It's even cooler now that I go back and look at it.

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: cyrilhl on Thu, 04 March 2010, 08:50:56

Sorry for my poor English first.
I have similar thinking as you and I have two idea to archive DIY split keyboard. I don't know they can work or not, but just for an reference in your brain storm.
 
1. The easy way
Use a goldtouch keyboard as a base,  remove the adjust arm at the top of the keyboard. Then extend the middle cable as long as you can mount on two side of your chair. Finally, find some mounting kit to fix it on your chair.

However, it didn't have a numpad on left hand side, you may need an external keypad for numbers.

2. The hard way
Use the wii keyboard controller  (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:8028&&highlight=wii) as the post explain to build a custom keyboard. But this is a very hard job, try it if you have that heart.

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: TexasFlood on Thu, 04 March 2010, 10:35:56

Found this really ugly "$14 'ergo" keyboard from surplus parts' (http://www.thecraftstudio.com/bcboy/keyboard.html) project when I was googling around.
Hideously ugly but maybe something I could actually do and might be fun.
(http://www.thecraftstudio.com/bcboy/right1.jpg)
(http://www.thecraftstudio.com/bcboy/left1.jpg)

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 04 March 2010, 10:40:06

The guy in that pic looks like an absolute douche. I don't intend to be mean or anything, but seriously, he looks like a douche.

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: TexasFlood on Thu, 04 March 2010, 11:21:18

Quote from: itlnstln;161772

The guy in that pic looks like an absolute douche. I don't intend to be mean or anything, but seriously, he looks like a douche.

Reminds me a bit of carrot top, before the steroids and plastic surgery.  He was weird and now he's just plain scary.

(http://indiaworld.in/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/carrot_top_01.jpg)
(http://local.yodle.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/carrot-top-plastic-surgery.jpg)

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 04 March 2010, 11:24:38

Yeah, what happened to that guy?  Freak.  Those eyebrows...

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: wolf on Thu, 04 March 2010, 15:21:32

Quote from: Eclairz;161740

You could get a non membrane keyboard like a cherry mx keyboard and remove each key from the board, and use wires to attach to the main board, mount the keys on some wood(else other cheaply available material) or directly onto the chair. This would use 1 keyboard, mounting materials/tools and wires.

Sounds fairly time consuming, especially if you have to remove each key, buying the keys separately is actually more expensive than buying the keyboard and harvesting the keys, but the time taken to harvest is high.

Also wiring becomes messy unless your organised.

Well, that's got me screwed, then - I couldn't organise a fart at a curry-eating contest.  :biggrin:

It's actually a good idea - would mean I could locate the keys anywhere I wanted including on different levels or at different angles to each other so I can reach them easily.

Would mean a lot of long wires running from them to the board, though.

Quote from: itlnstln;161753

I think you are looking for this (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:5379).  It's even cooler now that I go back and look at it.

Wow, that does look cool, very minimalist and pretty much what I'd love to have.  Yes, I did note that the arrow keys are on the left side.  Way cool.

Quote from: TexasFlood;161770

Found this really ugly "$14 'ergo" keyboard from surplus parts' (http://www.thecraftstudio.com/bcboy/keyboard.html) project when I was googling around.
Hideously ugly but maybe something I could actually do and might be fun.

Show Image

(http://www.thecraftstudio.com/bcboy/right1.jpg)

Show Image

(http://www.thecraftstudio.com/bcboy/left1.jpg)

Saw that one before, I was taking it as an excellent example of what I didn't want mine to look like...

Quote from: TexasFlood;161777

Reminds me a bit of carrot top, before the steroids and plastic surgery.  He was weird and now he's just plain scary.

Show Image

(http://local.yodle.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/carrot-top-plastic-surgery.jpg)

Yes, that is damn scary!

cyrilhl, I was already thinking of using the controller board from a modern USB keyboard in conjunction with the keys from an old mechanical keyboard for a project - good to see that it's been successfully tried.

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: microsoft windows on Thu, 04 March 2010, 19:55:53

His face looks like that of some crazy woman.

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: hyperlinked on Thu, 04 March 2010, 20:03:16

I have a much easier way to make your own DIY split keyboard... buy two keyboards.

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: microsoft windows on Thu, 04 March 2010, 20:07:17

Good thinking.

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Thu, 04 March 2010, 20:22:08

(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w123/gothikaboy/AxeSS.jpg)  
PLUS
(http://justpickone.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/computer_keyboard.jpg)
EQUALS
(http://www.online-ergonomics.co.uk/uploads/PICS/356-20070502132945.jpg)

Title: DIY Split keyboards
Post by: wolf on Thu, 04 March 2010, 20:55:58

Brilliant work, Computer-Lab in Basement, unfortunately you've made the classic mistake of failing to provide details of all the stages in between...


Been browsing through some of the different "ergo" boards mentioned in the threads and getting ideas for how I'd like the boards laid out.

If I'm going to split up a couple of boards to suit me, I might as well customise them to make them as "ergonomic" - from my own standpoint, anyway - as possible.

I like Hyperlinked's idea for it's stark simplicity - at least I would be able to choose which hands I use for which keys.