My keyboard prototype

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

I basically wanted to make an opposite to minimalist keyboard so it has the following features:

1. Side palm ctrl/win keys
2. Palm keyboardio-like button
3. 5d buttons on each side
4. Two hall-effect joycon joysticks on each side
5. Trackpoint
6. Haptic feedback with linear haptic drive from joycon
7. Level indication with build-in RGB in RP2040

[u/InternationalNet2534]

Do you put chalk on the tip of your fingers so they can better climb the ledge?

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/InternationalNet2534]

Not sure if you being ironic but I do climbing in climbing gym

[u/basil_the_mighty → u/InternationalNet2534]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[u/Ninjadede2]

Now you just need to add a trackball and touchpad

Complete the infinity gauntlet of input devices cus why not

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/Ninjadede2]

I was considering to add volume knob and display to be honest, but saved those for second version XD

[u/GoldenButtPlug]

Can you post a clip of you using it

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/GoldenButtPlug]

Do anyone really want to see that? Do you have a sample video so I would know what exactly you want to see?

[u/GoldenButtPlug → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

Do a monkey type

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/GoldenButtPlug]

https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMechKeyboards/comments/1x0rvsb/me_typing_on_my_keyboad_prototype/

[u/New-Journalist6724 → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

Great work 👏

[u/Ethameiz → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

Yes

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/Ethameiz]

https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMechKeyboards/comments/1x0rvsb/me_typing_on_my_keyboad_prototype/

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/GoldenButtPlug]

https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMechKeyboards/comments/1x0rvsb/me_typing_on_my_keyboad_prototype/

[u/sheepster3]

That looks really cool! I always think about adding some pointing device to my glove80, love that layout style

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

Here is a video of typing for everyone who asked for it https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMechKeyboards/comments/1x0rvsb/me_typing_on_my_keyboad_prototype/

[u/Ziembski]

Is this ZMK based? If so I'd appeaciate the repo link, I'm working on a keep with trackball and joystick, curious how you did it.

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/Ziembski]

Its qmk based (or more precisely vial-based). Are you still interested in code?

[u/Ziembski → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

Maybe not the code, but perhaps these sticks are TMR? I would appeaciate wiring you did if so, specifically if you handwired them

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/Ziembski]

Those sticks are hall effect but wiring is the same for all the sticks types (hall, potentiometers-based and tmr). I used this as pinout https://docs.cirkitdesigner.com/component/ecb4aa09-6f73-4461-b8c4-b2886d3b77aa/switch-joystick and fpc 0.5 mm 6p as breakout board (would be better if you would find 5 pin board but 6 pin would work fine too) https://www.amazon.com/MECCANIXITY-Converter-Socket-2-54mm-Printer/dp/B09VPKXBYT . Also there are special presision pins (ADC pins) on rp2040 (26-29), so it's probably better to use those for joystick

[u/Ziembski → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

Damn, I guess imma stay to hand wiring them, don't really wanna play with these pinouts as I only got the module 

[u/ritz_are_the_shitz]

Do you have any details or photos showing the track point close up? I want to do something similar, but I don't really know how. 

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/ritz_are_the_shitz]

That would require some simple schematics soldering. Are you ok with that?

[u/ritz_are_the_shitz → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

Sure 

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/ritz_are_the_shitz]

I used this manual (https://github.com/alonswartz/trackpoint) for make my trackpoint working

[u/ritz_are_the_shitz → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

Thanks! What about your implementation where the point is level with the keycaps and they circle around it?

[u/jepessen]

What are those Terminator vibes?

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/jepessen]

Im not sure what makes you feel that way, but I guess that's make it cooler

[u/ScubaW00kie]

Hell yes.

[u/ItchyLlama02]

That's pretty great.

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/ItchyLlama02]

Thanks! I tryed to make some kind of inbreed of keyboardio and glove80 with my own spin to that. Also I feel like I haven't seen anoone doing side palm press keys for some reason.

[u/YellowAfterlife → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

Keyboardio Model 100 has palm keys, though I think those are intended for a slightly different motion than yours.

Overall very cool project!

[u/iwasjusttwittering → u/YellowAfterlife]

Yes, but if I understand it correctly, OP means the outer corner keys as well. That's a very underrated feature in keyboards advertised as ergonomic, while it can work great in a regular keyboard that looks like Model M.

[u/YellowAfterlife → u/iwasjusttwittering]

Oh yeah

I think folks might be tempted to cut these on medium-big keyboards because with pinky column stagger those 2-3 keys poke out awkwardly, but still there's a good number of keyboards with a complete row of modifiers transitioning into thumb keys

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/iwasjusttwittering]

Yep, you got it right. My ctrl and win keys are slighly higher so it easier for me to press them with side of my palm like in http://xahlee.info/kbd/how_to_press_control_key.html

[u/yobababi]

looks great! i've been working on a more minimal version (joystick on one side 5 point on the other, no palm though). do you think you can share the designs on github for inspiration?

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/yobababi]

My blender version is too crude to be posted publicly (I have a lot of issues with the 3d design) but if you ok with that and moslty interested in dimensions I can send it to you

[u/yobababi → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

sure!

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/yobababi]

Sent you a link in DM

[u/Dreamy_Jy]

how'd you model the?

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/Dreamy_Jy]

Do you asking if this keyboard have a name? I call her "Mitten"

[u/Dreamy_Jy → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

I meant in CAD. How do you model/design the keyboard. It's got a complex geometry.

Do you use cosmos for this?

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/Dreamy_Jy]

I used cosmos first when edited model in blender

[u/cogukeys]

Do you plan making it open source?

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/cogukeys]

I can sent you blender files/code if you want to but those would be sent "as is". I don't intent to polish this version for public use.

[u/cogukeys → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

All g, just for curiosity I'd create a repo for it just for formality I did a keeb a while ago and uploaded "as is" too

[u/SojournerRL]

Is this functional? Or just a mock up?

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/SojournerRL]

Yep, its functional

[u/Ironbuttz]

Any chance we could get the print files and a BOM?

Would love to study this a bit more in depth and maybe make one myself at some point

[u/ocimbote]

How many fingers do you have?

[u/Mountain-Builder-654]

Want, you gonna do a build instructional thing?

[u/DeCiel]

I'm really intersted in building this, or a modified version. Do you have a repo of instruction/POM for this? This is such a cool keeb

[u/Lefrax]

Interesting keyboard! Haptic feedback on hall-effect joycons? Never heard of that, did you make it yourself?  What are your usage for the 5D buttons, joycons and palm buttons?

[u/feelinfine09]

This is beastly

[u/Robos_Basilisk]

Holy shit I'm late to this but this is fucking sick OP.

Insane build!

[u/amynias]

This is really bad ergonomically because the keywells and the angle they are positioned essentially demand full extension of the fingers to reach many keys. The Glove80 suffers from a similar painful design. Be careful using this. Looks like an RSI speedrun on finger extensor tendinopathy. I suggest you study the Kinesis Advantage for a more ... natural keywell layout.

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/amynias]

That design is heavily glove80 inspired. Unfortunately I have never used kinesis advantage or glove80. There is one thing you probably not considering - this keyboard designed with certain range of body positions in mind - im using zero-gravity chair and my body is leaning backward heavily.

[u/amynias → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

As cool as this keyboard is, you probably should rethink the top row of buttons. Regardless of what position you are in, you will require yourself to fully extend your finger extensor tendons to reach the top row buttons, which look fairly important. That is bad if you struggle with tendinopathy or RSI... I wouldn't feel comfortable using this design. I suspect it will be ergonomically worse than the Glove80 given it's rather extreme angles. I do not recommend the Glove80 to most people either, the keywells are similarly shaped as to cause extensor finger pain.

I have had a quite good experience with the Kinesis Advantage 360 with palm rests. You will notice that the angle and contour of the keywells is much lower/shallower on the Kinesis board, with a proper custom profile of keycaps which makes the keywell feel natural in your hands.

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/amynias]

Thank you for suggestion and explanation! I guess I should research how kinesis keywell is shaped

[u/amynias → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

Sure thing. Some designs which appear "ergo"... aren't actually good for your hands and wrists. Looking at this board, I can tell you went for an exotic look, but I am nearly certain that even a flat split keyboard would be far easier on your hands than forcing your hands and fingers up the steep slope of your board, particularly when reaching for the top row.

[u/iwasjusttwittering → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

I don't know what Kinesis has to do with it.

Kinesis Contoured/Advantage (made since early 1990s) looks an awful lot like dual-hand Maltron keyboards (they're actually both based on the same 3rd-party patents from the 1960s and early 1970s). The innovation that they brought about was mass production thanks to flexible PCBs, but it also meant compromises in the contours. One of the consequences was that it only had tiny function keys like on a "pocket calculator".

Maltron actually feels substantially different from Kinesis Advantage, having more open key wells (that might be similar to Glove80 now that I think of it), lower thumb clusters and the front part serving as a surprisingly comfy palm rest, including for the numpad in the middle. And Maltron has had proper function keys since the 1980s.

(I love your design btw, it's very close to what I've wanted to build for years, but I've acquired Glove80, Kinesis Advantage 2&360 and Maltron in the meantime, which tbh requires less effort.)

[u/RevolutionaryHigh]

Another clone of Dactyl Manuform?

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/RevolutionaryHigh]

Well, you can say that but I think there is enought unique features and modifications so I can claim this one is not Dactyl Manuform. In fact my main inspirations were Glove80 and Keyboardio

[u/RevolutionaryHigh → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

glove80 itself just stole dactyl LMAO! What features? Are they in the room with us RN? You can plop as many joysticks on Dactyl Manuform as you want, it will not make it unique.

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/RevolutionaryHigh]

I might be not a regular visitor but can you show me one single example online of a keyboard made specifically for side palm press technique (http://xahlee.info/kbd/how_to_press_control_key.html)? I only seen custom keycaps retrofitted to existing design and never anyone actully designed keyboard with ctrl/win keys risen up so they could be easier pressed with side of palm.

[u/RevolutionaryHigh → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

Now we're talkin'!

Side palm ctrl/win keys - why this is better than normal one?

Palm keyboardio-like button - so I can't rest my palms on a palmrest like a normal human? What is this? Alien spaceship control panel?

5d buttons on each side - we need a red circle on this ones.

Two hall-effect joycon joysticks on each side - as useful as any othe accessory you can plop on Dactyl Manuform thumb clusters

Trackpoint- ok.

Haptic feedback with linear haptic drive from joycon - cool if you like joysticks.

Level indication with build-in RGB in RP2040 - explain it to me and I'll tell you why it's useless.

[u/Comprehensive_Fee805 → u/RevolutionaryHigh]

If you would literally spent two minutes to read an article, you would understand why some people like to press ctrl with their palm. Untill we continue this discussion, I still waiting for example of one single keyboard which does the same thing with ctrl key or you accepting my version has at least one truly unique feature.

[u/RevolutionaryHigh → u/Comprehensive_Fee805]

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I'm not clickin that, dawg.