Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard • Hacker News Board

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#41

Post by WesolyKubeczek » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 2:40 PM UTC

StavrosK wrote: post #14

ljoshua wrote: post #12

Reminds me a bit of this really cool project I saw the other day: https://there.oughta.be/a/macro-keyboard Difference is one is generic for typing anything, and the link there is purpose-built on a per-application basis, but the idea of having a small amount of keys for a precise job is very interesting. (Side note, anyone remember the Optimus Maximus, where each key was an LED screen? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O…

> Reminds me a bit of this really cool project I saw the other day: https://there.oughta.be/a/macro-keyboard I'm in love with this, I have to build it. Thanks for the recommendation! > (Side note, anyone remember the Optimus Maximus, where each key was an LED screen? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimus_Maximus_keyboard ) Yeah, what happened with that? IIRC it never materialized.

It existed and was too fucking expensive for what it did and how it worked even in the terms of mechanical keyboard connoisseurs. (It was mechanical, but to cut some costs they used the worst Cherry switches they could lay their hands on.)

Still, it could be praised as a proof of concept that such things were doable. I hear there's a kickstarter on a keyboard with Eink screens, which is reportedly not as hideous.

The Lebedev studio also produced an Optimus Mini Six macro pad which was more useful and lived a bit longer after the Maximus bit the dust.

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#42

Post by StavrosK » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 2:47 PM UTC

WesolyKubeczek wrote: post #41

StavrosK wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Reminds me a bit of this really cool project I saw the other day: https://there.oughta.be/a/macro-keyboard I'm in love with this, I have to build it. Thanks for the recommendation! > (Side note, anyone remember the Optimus Maximus, where each key was an LED screen? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimus_Maximus_keyboard ) Yeah, what happened with that? IIRC it never materialized.

It existed and was too fucking expensive for what it did and how it worked even in the terms of mechanical keyboard connoisseurs. (It was mechanical, but to cut some costs they used the worst Cherry switches they could lay their hands on.) Still, it could be praised as a proof of concept that such things were doable. I hear there's a kickstarter on a keyboard with Eink screens, which is reportedly not as hideous. The…

I can't really blame Lebedev for that, given how expensive EInk displays are, due to the patent/monopoly situation.

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#43

Post by 1MachineElf » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 2:47 PM UTC

traverseda wrote: post #30

A friend of mine made this keyboard a while back https://github.com/TristanTrim/asetniop-keyboard

I have that one starred. ASETNIOP looks quite interesting to me. I just wish it was open source. Without that, I don't see how I could possibly adapt it to the various operating systems I use day-to-day.

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#44

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 2:48 PM UTC

MivLives wrote: post #32

Would be curious if it'd be worth it to add either a sixth button on the side to be pressed by the thumb, or to add something like a 5-way switch [1] to the top. You wouldn't have to use all 5 ways, and it'd greatly increase the amount of characters possible, potentially allowing whole words (and, the, patient etc) to be hit by buttons. [1] https://www.adafruit.com/product/504

[deleted]

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#45

Post by JshWright » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 2:50 PM UTC

mcphage wrote: post #38

Wouldn't a paramedic also need to type numbers? 31 is more than the number of letters, but not more than the number of letters + 10 digits.

Do you get the impression from the post that he was actually listening to my description of the use case? ;)

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#46

Post by ncmncm » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 2:50 PM UTC

StavrosK wrote: post #27

KMnO4 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, digits; a thumb is not technically a finger:)

What?! This is the first I hear of this, though you appear to be correct. Mindblowing.

Not only that--different species have used different parts for the thumb. A Jurassic pterodactyl ("wing-finger") had the earliest known opposable thumb. Pandas have their choice. Primates are late to the party, but might have a claim to most use. Some cats have joined.

The most important key-chord is space, followed by backspace.

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#47

Post by ad404b8a372f2b9 » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 2:51 PM UTC

lolinder wrote: post #15

ad404b8a372f2b9 wrote: post #6

That is very cool! I think the double-presses and three-button presses are pushing it for usability. I wonder if there is a version where you can keep the general form and idea and increase the ease-of-use. I'm thinking add a 5th side-key and a second top-key and use the top ones solely as toggle, not as letters. This way you have 3*5 keys total and fill in the rest with a predictive model, maybe? Or how about a layo…

Using a predictive model would be awful for the inspiration use case (must keep eye contact with the patient), but probably more convenient for most others. Personally, I'd rather have the chords than have toggles—a keyboard should really be stateless. Even the existing rarely used states (num lock, caps lock) do more to cause me frustration than help.

Sorry I was unclear, by toggle I meant more like shift than capslock, you have to keep pressing don't know what's the correct terminology for those kind of keys.

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#48

Post by WesolyKubeczek » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 2:56 PM UTC

Since there's a plenty of chorded keyboards already, someone should come up with some sort of a scat keyboard, or rather input method.

Each keystroke is represented by a sequence of three notes that you sing into the microphone. Three notes produce two intervals which, measured in semitones, are converted into keys pressed (being, say, duodecimal digits). The relative duration of notes sang can be interpreted as modifier keys.

Buy a premium version that plays a fine selection of fusion jazz backing tracks with drums and synths, while you solo.

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#49

Post by ad404b8a372f2b9 » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 2:57 PM UTC

StavrosK wrote: post #21

ad404b8a372f2b9 wrote: post #6

That is very cool! I think the double-presses and three-button presses are pushing it for usability. I wonder if there is a version where you can keep the general form and idea and increase the ease-of-use. I'm thinking add a 5th side-key and a second top-key and use the top ones solely as toggle, not as letters. This way you have 3*5 keys total and fill in the rest with a predictive model, maybe? Or how about a layo…

There are keyboards where each finger goes into four (five) switches, one on each side, but I imagine some combinations will be impossible to type without the keyboard being stationary relative to the hand.

Oh I've seen those (these https://www.reddit.com/r/MouseReview/comments/gsj4n4/im_gett... right?) but they seem completely unusable.

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#50

Post by mcshicks » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 2:57 PM UTC

StavrosK wrote: post #17

praptak wrote: post #9

This is a simpler version of Twiddler: https://twiddler.tekgear.com/

Have you ever used that? It looks interesting.

I have one I bought maybe 8 years ago. It's the wired version. There was some pretty good tutorial software for learning to type but I could never really get the Ctrl key combos to work which made emacs hard to use. But for just letters and spaces and tabs it worked surprisingly well. You can change the layout also.