By now, Google Japan has become known for its unconventional and downright bizarre keyboards. Last year, it unveiled a version with rotary dials in lieu of keys. But perhaps the company figured operating such a device required too much movement, so this time, it came up with one that does all the moving for you. As the name says, the Gboard Conveyor Belt Version uses a conveyor belt to deliver the keys right to the user’s fingertips.
It looks about as weird as it sounds. Instead of lying flat on your desk, it stands in a vertical orientation, with the keys streaming down towards you. The keyboard sports four belts, with each belt carrying 29 keys that rotate continuously. Since the keys move towards the user’s hand, the user does not need to move as much compared to a conventional keyboard. Supposedly, the design is more efficient, allowing for more “intuitive” typing.
In a video showing off the keyboard’s features, Google highlighted some of the advantages of such a design. One of them is one-handed typing, so you have a free hand to operate a mouse. And for the overachievers who want to keep all fingers occupied, the brand recommends getting a second keyboard. The company also mentioned exploring the idea further, including longer models that fit more characters, a short version for mobile, and a high-speed mode for “developing hand-eye coordination”.
This all sounds absurd, but it’s all part of the company’s longstanding tradition that began more than a decade ago. An April Fool’s Day tradition, to be exact. But later down the line, the company switched the release to 1 October as a reference to the standard 101-key keyboards.
In any case, those looking to purchase the Gboard Conveyor Belt Version will find themselves a touch disappointed, as Google is not actually selling these as an actual product. As usual, though, open source blueprints for the device are available on GitHub, so you can make one yourself.
(Source: Google Japan)
