Handmade wireless keyboard

[KY]

Do you like this kind keyboards with mechanical key.

5minutes movie

How about this one?

Let me know how you feel.

[tp4tissue]

Ergodox, but it's not wireless.

[tuxsavvy]

Welcome to geekhack forums! ギークハックのフォウラムにようこそ！

I saw the intial two videos you posted before Youtube started linking me to other videos by you. The wood based keyboard looks more appealing (to me) in your initial video. Though later on I got the impression they are wireless (which generally is not bad but more information about it would be nice).

I quite like the idea that the split keyboards (in your case):

• Can be attached to both arm rests on the chair. Though that partially reminds me of the poor Stephen Hawking. Nonetheless the idea is still nice.
• Are far apart from each other and that they are linked together via wireless. Other notable ergonomic/split keyboards usually has wire/cable running from one to another and the cable length seems to be short apart from that, there is a concern for cables getting tangled/caught.
• Have attachment for touchpad sort of pointing device and that goes on top of the keyboard case on one side of the keyboard. Evidently the pointing device can be flipped up (as to be out of the way of the keyboard) when not in use. It seems the idea is really interesting for arm chair warriors and basically enforces the principles of touch typing.

Though again this is really from my own personal point of view.

Edit: the 5 minutes video that you posted is really interesting, though it combines some of the videos you have posted but it is still interesting. The chair I guess is also custom made/tailored? Keep up the good work! 

[KY]

Thanks for your impression and opinions

I guess I should show you some detail of Mechanical type of my keyboard.

 Take a look at the followings

特徴は、
The specification of Mechanical type

  1. 暗号化されたワイヤレス通信、ADVANCED 2.4GHz
      Encrypted Wireless communication, ADVANCED 2.4GHz

  2. ワイヤレス接続距離１０メートル   
      10 m Wireless connection

  3. 手作り(世界で1台だけ)
      Hand made and Only one in the world

  4. キー個数 83個 (右側45、左側38)
          メカニカルキー(青軸、タイプ音が心地良い) 76個
          ブルーグラスキー6個、グリーンマーブルキー1個
      83key (right hand 45 pieces, left hand 38 pieces)
         Including 76 Mechanical keys,
         Six bluegrass key, one green marble key
  5. 改造エラストマーチェアー使用
      Remodeling elastomer chair in use

  6. 木の質感を感じさせるデザイン
      Woody design

  7. 超強力磁石( 98個 )を使った組立
       Assembled by 98 pieces of Super strong magnets

  8. チェアーをリクライニングさせるとキーボードも連動
      When recline the chair, keyboard move too.

  9. 跳ね上げ式のワイヤレスタッチパッド付き
      Wireless touch pad with a flip-up

 10. ブルーグラスキーとグリーンマーブルキーが機能と装飾の両面でGood
      Green Marble and key bluegrass key is so Good functionally and decoratively

 11. 低消費電力設計 (単四電池4本使用、通常使用で電池寿命1年以上)
      Low power consumption design (using four batteries, battery life is more than 1 year)

 12. ボタン1発で「インターネット接続」「音量調整」「スリープ」「計算機表示」「画面コピー」
     There's some hot key

 13. 一般のWindows PCで使用できます。
           (  Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows RT )
       Available for any kind PC

 14. ソフトウエアインストール不要
       No software is required

 15. 簡単接続 (小型ワイヤレスUSBレシーバーをPCに装着するだけで使えます。)
       Easy installation, only you need to put USB receiver into PC

 16. キーピッチ 19mm (実用的なサイズです。)
       Key pich 19mm

[digi]

This would be great for people with large bellies.

[blueSmoke]

Nice ideas and good designs. Care to elaborate on the wireless aspect about those?

What are the "bluegrass key" and "green marble key"?

Either get the keyboards nearer or reduce the belly

[KY]

Maybe I'll elaborate on the wireless aspect about those someday, but not now.

>What are the "bluegrass key" and "green marble key"?
Never mind, they are only bottons. But they are useful and good looking.

I used my favorite bottoms for the hot keys.
They make little bit different from other keyboard, I guess.

[tuxsavvy]

Thanks for the reply, the idea of encrypted wireless is definitely interesting but it shares the same band as wireless LAN and Bluetooth along with legacy wireless devices.

The wood overall design definitely adds a touch of class without a doubt. Though the idea of strong magnets may not be ideal (like for instance one is trying to repair a watch I guess). Slightly weaker magnet but depending more on wood joints (as a form of clipped on, not glued on) might be more ideal personally.

I guess the bluegrass keys and green marble keys can probably be used for setting up macros for instance but still interesting.

The chair is also definitely very appealing (to me) it seems like it is sitting on a light frame but has more thicker metal sort of reinforcements on the back and armrests for instance.

This would be great for people with large bellies.

A little insensitive don't you think? I don't have a large belly but I can definitely see something cool with this project.

[KY]

>Thanks for the reply, the idea of encrypted wireless is definitely interesting but it shares the same band as >wireless LAN and Bluetooth along with legacy wireless devices.
Indeed. I didn't chech up myself, but they say 'encrypted' on the specification of the part I used.

I used magnets for joints. Because I want to change parts sometimes, if I'm not satisfied the hight and style and angle of the keyboard. So to speak, joints for flexibility. Maybe I don't use magnets for joints next time.

I mean bluegrass keys and green marble keys are used for setting up macros. You're right.

I guess I made the chair strong good enough. Don't worry, that is very strong. Trust me.

[Snigeln]

This would be great for people with large bellies.

A little insensitive don't you think? I don't have a large belly but I can definitely see something cool with this project.

That doesn't have to be insensitive, it actually does look like it could help some people

[tuxsavvy]

>Thanks for the reply, the idea of encrypted wireless is definitely interesting but it shares the same band as >wireless LAN and Bluetooth along with legacy wireless devices.
Indeed. I didn't chech up myself, but they say 'encrypted' on the specification of the part I used.

I used magnets for joints. Because I want to change parts sometimes, if I'm not satisfied the hight and style and angle of the keyboard. So to speak, joints for flexibility. Maybe I don't use magnets for joints next time.

I mean bluegrass keys and green marble keys are used for setting up macros. You're right.

I guess I made the chair strong good enough. Don't worry, that is very strong. Trust me.

Not really a huge problem when a common frequency band is used, I guess it also makes the wireless component in general as a result cheaper and more abundant. The only downfall to this whole thing is only in areas where there are lots of devices using 2.4GHz band, it may then seem to be a bit of a bottleneck and/or maybe combined with gaming which requires one to hit so many keys in short amounts of time frame and constantly on the same set of keys.

The really good thing which I consider a huge bonus is that even if it is running on 2.4GHz band the data is encrypted. One thing I really loathe about wireless peripherals is that they use common bands and not bother much with encryption in general. The next thing you know is that you are logging into your bank account with your details sent over the air as plaintext, it doesn't take much for some curious person to start sniffing out the packets for any cleartext data and then start gathering some passwords for instance. In that sense I am a bit more of a security sort of person. However again it is good that you seem to have addressed the issue I was thinking of when it comes to wireless.

About the joints and magnets, yeah just a suggestion. I mean nothing wrong with using magnets, they are simple to implement and to use but just the thought of magnetism and wireless for instance may come into contact. Another case for instance is with flash drives or storage devices which they say maybe susceptible to magnetic interference and so in hindsight it might be better to try and not use strong magnets over time. Nonetheless for prototyping purposes it (magnets) really are handy in cases like this.

I guess with my bit of broken Japanese I sort of did understand what you wrote in Japanese.  I must still maintain that my Japanese is still very much broken (as per my signature states). About the use of macros, that is another cool thing as well for sure. The idea of shortcuts for instance especially when gaming it is handy to have macros or one have to sacrifice some other regular key (like F12 for example) just to make use of a macro function.

Not doubting your design of the chair in any form. It does look fancy though I must admit and also it seems there are extra things implemented to aid in reinforcing structure of the overall build. A custom made chair and custom made keyboard, definitely would go a long way compared to some of the regular sort of approach (such as designer made chairs - but are largely manufactured on some assembly line). Besides, one gets useful insights as well if and when things go wrong.

This would be great for people with large bellies.

A little insensitive don't you think? I don't have a large belly but I can definitely see something cool with this project.

That doesn't have to be insensitive, it actually does look like it could help some people

True, the ambiguity of the language used in certain ways may confuse certain people. It all depends on how the it is phrased and to be interpreted by another and to me I sort of thought it was a little insensitive as it may imply that only people with large bellies would fit the bill so to speak.

[KY]

I appreciate for your advises and suggestions.

I agree about your opinion for security. And That's true.
I was lucky, the part I used for my keyboard was good one for security.

Because of sensitive other devices, I need to select or not to use magnets, I guess.

The chair design and how to use pointing device are very important for me.
If one of them isn't good, my keyboard will not be useful or become junk.
Do you know what I mean?
I saw some split keyboards some maker developed, but I can't see most of them at amazon or PC markets.
I don't want to take the same way with other split keyboards.
That's why chair design and pointing device are very important for me.

[tp4tissue]

instead of all that..

You should just bend a single pipe instead, and mount it to the center post of an office chair

[terran5992]

Isnt it awkard to type like that?

[KY]

I like your idea with pipe.
I'll try that someday.

[eddie]

I like the look of the keyboard, it looks quite similar to the ergodox or a split keyboard. A set up like that would be really nice. I definitely like it

[KY]

Thank you for your impression.

I checked up pictures of ergodox and split keyboard.
I wonder where they put the keyboard. On the table?
How they use the keyboard with pointing device like a mouse or touchpad.
Is it easy to find out home position?
Can you find out the answer on their product?

I hope you'll find some improvements on my keyboard.

[eddie]

Thank you for your impression.

I checked up pictures of ergodox and split keyboard.
I wonder where they put the keyboard. On the table?
How they use the keyboard with pointing device like a mouse or touchpad.
Is it easy to find out home position?
Can you find out the answer on their product?

I hope you'll find some improvements on my keyboard.

No problem! Hopefully I can try to answer these questions but I have not had the chance to use an ergodox, I've only seen images of them.

I wonder where they put the keyboard. On the table?
Yes, normally they'll put the keyboard on the table but I can see someone getting very long cables to attach them to other things like sides of a chair or something. (Hopefully I answered this correctly)

How they use the keyboard with pointing device like a mouse or touchpad.
I would think they would have a mouse/trackball/touchpad set up like how someone with a normal keyboard would have it (to the right or left of the keyboard depending on which hand they use for mouse).
I have seen pictures of people who fill the gap in between the keyboard with a trackball on google images.

Is it easy to find out home position?
That I wouldn't really know as I haven't tried either the ergodox or a split keyboard.

Hopefully this helps

[KY]

Thank you for your opinion again.

And I got your answer collectly.

I really like to read comment someone compares my keyboard with wonderful products like their products.

[tuxsavvy]

I appreciate for your advises and suggestions.

I agree about your opinion for security. And That's true.
I was lucky, the part I used for my keyboard was good one for security.

Because of sensitive other devices, I need to select or not to use magnets, I guess.

The chair design and how to use pointing device are very important for me.
If one of them isn't good, my keyboard will not be useful or become junk.
Do you know what I mean?
I saw some split keyboards some maker developed, but I can't see most of them at amazon or PC markets.
I don't want to take the same way with other split keyboards.
That's why chair design and pointing device are very important for me.

Definitely with chair design, but I was pointing out that it is really unique which is cool. I personally have not seen one taking a similar approach when making a custom mechanical keyboard to suit ideally with their chairs like yours. There are people who have played with customising mechanical keyboards such as this: 16 Stunning Steampunk Keyboard Designs | Walyou

Though you will see there that they are mostly just keyboards alone. Yours incorporate both keyboard, mouse and chair. Ok well not exactly a mouse but a pointing device which like I said is really cool. It seems like everything came as one package so to speak.

There are a fair few other ergoniomic/split keyboards out there, including custom designed like ErgoDox which seems to be a mostly GeekHack inspired keyboard or at least part thereof. However yours took even a more radical approach that not only have you done away with no cable in between the two split keyboards but also embraced the more modern technology of wireless (and adding security at that). These are some of the reasons why I find your project very interesting. To not only have split keyboard but to make use of wireless (with encryption) as well as to incorporate touchpad and put it all on a custom built chair which makes the entire package unique regardless of how you look at it. Regardless if from making custom mechanical keyboards or custom chairs or even just making it easy for one to access a point device without reaching their hands far just to grab one. Yours is basically all rolled into one handy package making virtually accessing everything a breeze.
 

[yasuo]

I think people japan quite creative,i want make like that  soon
and like webwit workspace,Thanks for Sharing
you must really ambidextrous )

[Snigeln]

I could use one of those, there's always dust under my desk!

[neunelfer]

Nice work!

[KY]

Thanks for your impression and suggestion.

When we use an ordinary keyboard, it's very easy to set our hands at home position.
Because home position is near center of our body and at the front of us.
How about my keyboard? If I use mouse for the pointing device, I need move my hands
from my home position. Right? When I use my keyboard, I need to set my hands to home
position. It's messy or easy to make a mistake of the position.

That's why I use a touchpad with a flip-up, but not a mouse.

And I want to use a big TV screen for my PC, at that time, the keyboard should be wireless
and set to my chair.

There was a necessity to assemble my keyboard with a wireless touchpad and my chair.