As an update, Here's some pictures of the new keyboard at the bottom of this post.
It's been some time since my last post. A lot's happened since then. I ended up doing a full redesign, getting an engineering firm to do DFM, securing component suppliers and switching to a Kickstarter launching June 2nd. This is the
Kickstarter page and
this page shows the product development process. If you sign up for the waitlist now, you can get a discount on top of the promotional launch price.
### 1. How this keyboard started
A bit about me. I developed carpal tunnel syndrome and wrist tendinosis back in 2020, tried a bunch of things like physio, wrist brace, etc that helped but didn't fix my problems. I ended up looking into workplace ergonomics and made my own split dactyl-like keyboard. By sheer coincidence, I ended up making keyboards for people for the past 4 years. I've talked to a ton of awesome users over those years, made a ton of iterations. I quit my job this year to create the TAIKO-01 based on their feedback.
### 2. Updates
Since the last update, I did a full redesign of the keyboard. This was to optimize design for manufacturability. But now it's finally done, so everything is ready for injection molding. Since I've been doing this for years, you wouldn't think it'd take this long. But it ended up taking an entire year 😱. It's humbling how hard it is going from 3D printing to injection molding.
### 3. What's special about this keyboard
You might've seen split concave keyboards like Kinesis Advantage, Glove80. Here's how the TAIKO-01 is different:
1. It's more compact, which makes it easier to transport.
2. It has a thumb cluster that's easier to reach because it's oriented at a downward angle. This lets you use thumb abduction instead of thumb extension, clarified by this [diagram](
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387167221/figure/fig2/AS:11431281300207709@1735349306942/Thumb-flexion-extension-left-and-palmar-adduction-abduction-right.tif). Thumb abduction is much more ergonomic than thumb extension, which is what happens with Kinesis Advantage, Moonlander and Glove80. This is because thumb abduction puts you in a handshake position.
3. Layer keys (LOWER and RAISE) are offset at a lower height compared to other keys on the thumb cluster so you won't accidentally hit it. Note that layer keys let you toggle or temporarily switch to a different keyboard layout.
4. It's hotswappable. It's also QMK compatible.
5. If you want to see a side by side comparison with the Kinesis Advantage, I made a quick video here:
https://youtube.com/shorts/GId4orK1fn0?si=lI4tkaxdlz51owd36. Does the concave shape actually make a difference?
Anatomically it makes sense because your fingers are not the same lengths. Think of how glove have different lengths for each finger. You'd expect each column of a keyboard to have a different curvature to match your finger's range of motion and a different height to match it's length.
### 4. The ultimate goal
But it's one thing to be confident from anecdotal evidence and another to be confident from clinical evidence. The goal is to save enough from sales to do a clinical study so we know how split concave keyboards helps people and what exactly it helps with (carpal tunnel, wrist tendinosis, de Quervains, epicondylitis, etc). From user feedback (n>120), there seems to be strong feedback it helps people with their wrist/hand/elbow pain. It's just what exactly it helps and under what circumstances it helps (used with standing desk, augmented with physio, etc) is muddled.
If you're interested, please check out [taiko.taikohub.com](
https://taiko.taikohub.com).
