14 DAY TRIAL // There are many keyboards on the market, some with special key shapes and arrangements, some without. The design determines how comfortable and easy they are to use, and whether or not you're liable to get wrist conditions from prolonged use.
A man by the name of Øystein Krog, holding to the belief that customization can be the answer to every possible pitfall, came up with a fully customizable keyboard.
The customization is owed to 3D printing technology, as well as 3D scanning technology. The goal was to fit each keyboard to people's particular needs.
He calls the project 3D Ergodox, hoping that it will eventually enable everyone with an Internet connection to order a specially-tailored peripheral.
The 3D Ergodox project
Krog envisions a time when you will be able to download an app to your computer or tablet, or even your smartphone. That app would be used to take photos of your hands and generate custom measurements based on computer vision technology.
The information would then be employed to calculate a custom ergonomic keyboard layout that would fit your hand shape and finger length so well that you'll barely believe it.
The app will be necessary because the model is very dynamic and parametrized, so doing it “manually” would be troublesome enough to put people off the idea.
It's not just the main keyboard frame that would be generated by Krog's central system (where the apps would send the data), but also the shape of individual keys.
You could, in theory, end up with a keyboard shaped like waves on water, or the slope of a hill. Definitely not akin to the regular form of this peripheral type.
The 3D curve is defined based on how the fingers move, but the code generates everything else automatically. AI is so wonderful.
Why we haven't seen something like this before
There wasn't a technology that could reliably and affordably produce customized products for every order. Especially since half the trouble lies in taking the measurement photos.
3D printing technology filled the void, but there aren't any 3D printers with a volume large enough to make the keyboards, or at least their frames, in a single go. Krog will be building a bigger 3D printer himself apparently.
No working prototype exists yet, but if a large enough printer is made or found, it shouldn't be too hard to complete. After that, well, no more carpal tunnel syndrome or back pains for any of us.
