Keyboard technology isn’t something you usually think of as changing very often, but that’s hardly the case if you really think about it. From mechanical keyboards to electronic ones, from PS/2 to USB, keyboards have not only evolved, but fill specialized markets where certain configurations of keyboards are ideal (natural keyboards, wireless keyboards, gapless keyboards, etc).
While some embedded devices have even supported virtual, on-screen keyboards, these take up valuable desktop space, and though many PDAs have components that let you attach them to a physical keyboards that often folds up to save space for portability, these are not ideal for certain applications, especially if the device is to be used where desktop realestate is expensive (for example, at a bank terminal).
A potential solution to this problem is a laser-drawn keyboard that not only draws a keyboard on a surface, but reads in keyboard “presses”.
While certainly useful, especially if integrated into packages like cellular phones (where data entry is tedious), I wonder just how well this thing works. Ideally, the laser would not be interrupted by your fingers, the size of the keyboard would be configurable, and the display and sensor should work on non-flat surfaces.
Of course, all things said and done, the geek in me wants to know how applicable this thing is for LAN-Parties, and if a virtual keyboard is something a person can adapt to for full-time use. IMO, working with something where the buttons don’t actually go down when you press them would feel horrible (and as such, work horribly).
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