AirType keyless keyboard

[wolfv]

AirType, the keyless keyboard of the future:

http://airtype.io/ > scroll down to see more pics.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7860308

Interesting idea.  Although I wounder what it uses for sensors.
If they add a wrist-flex sensor, you could have a two or three layer keyboard just by bending your wrist.

[Coreda]

It's no different from typing on a keyboard

Except it's invisible :v I do wonder how many people would want such a device, when for the hassle of carrying around such a geeky device they could be typing directly on the screen's UI.

Also perhaps comes at a bit of an inopportune moment, when Apple has just announced support for third-party virtual keyboards in iOS.

[noisyturtle]

If it works on curved surfaces, it could give an entirely new meaning to the term 'typing on a cloud of boobs.' 

[paicrai]

**** this ****

[Coreda]

Being moved to the keyboards section seems more appropriate, too.

[paicrai]

no because this isn't even a keyboard
there are no keys
it's not a board







it's bull****

[Coreda]

it's bull****

Care to expand on the thought? Regardless of whether you or I will use it the tech seems interesting enough.

[tp4tissue]

Now here's the thing... DOES IT WORK....??

Is it Chorded?

[paicrai]

will it blend?

[paicrai]

it's bull****

Care to expand on the thought?

it's ****ing bull****

[tp4tissue]

anyone know how this works?


I'm guessing it's gyroscopic...  because the brace is a hard plane across the top of your hand..

This is probably because they want to keep the bottom of your hands free for coffee soda grab..

I guess.. pr0n users won't be able to use this.. hAHAHHAHAAHAHHAAHa....


so you move, detector > bitmap > match bitmap > output..

[vivalarevolución]

Can I do alternative layout other than QWERTY?

[tp4tissue]

Can I do alternative layout other than QWERTY?

of course..

They probably got a sequencing system that takes position/ relative position..


The problem I see where this would never see wide adoption may be the fact that they're recording movements of people who learned how to type on the keyboard..


if that is the case... a person would have to learn keyboard first THEN learn to use this thing..

So that's a two step training program...   


Now.. can someone who doesn't know how to type   effectively be read using this device..


What is it reading...

[dorkvader]

I wouldn't like to type on a tabletop all day: would hurt my fingers. This is one reason those laser keyboards never took off.

[Oobly]

An interesting novelty, like the Laser keyboard only worse. There is no layout to reference. Not everyone can touch type. And for those who can, there's not tactile reference either, so... yuck.

If you type on the surface of the desk, it's going to hurt after a while. Even more if you type on "air". The effort of keeping your hands in the air while typing is a lot more than being able to type on a physical board.

The only use case I can think of is "typing" on your legs (since you can then allow your arms to rest, have "tented" hands and a good non-solid tactile surface for typing on). With an on-screen reference for each finger, showing their positions relative to the "keys". Could work okay, then.

Then again, if you're typing with both hands, you're not likely to be using a portable device such as a tablet or phone.... so just:

Get a mechanical keyboard. Accept no substitute.