Weird and Wacky Engineering
Comment
Brian Fuller2
I agree with Mr. Ashton (as I almost always do)... This is a technology in ...
Denis.Giri
WASD switch to ZQSD (for AZERTY keyboards) is already badly supported in about ...
Radial keyboard design – rad or bad?
Sylvie Barak
7/18/2012 1:50 PM EDT
Re-inventing the wheel is so last century. Irish company, BeeRaider, wants to re-create the keyboard, with a radical new design it claims is far superior to QWERTY.
QWERTY, says BeeRaider, has reached its 19th-century design limit and needs a serious overhaul to deal with modern computing needs. After all, our current keyboard setup has its roots in avoiding keysticking on old typewriters and was not designed with speed typing in mind.
To rectify the problem, the firm has produced what it believes to be a “logical and ergonomic” alternative with a purportedly low learning curve and higher suitability to portable devices like phones and tablets.
Loosely modeled on the shape of a bee, the keyboard allows for either one-handed or two-handed typing and has a bigger key size for those with less delicate fingers.
The firm has also changed key layout in a way it claims is “alpha-character efficient” taking the frequency of use of each character into account.
You can see a video of the keyboard below, or even download it to an Android smartphone or tablet to give it a go in touchscreen version.
The firm says it is looking for investment to build an actual physical version next year.
Radical radial shift in how humanity types or another failed alternative keyboard flop, what do you think? Let us know in the comments below:
QWERTY, says BeeRaider, has reached its 19th-century design limit and needs a serious overhaul to deal with modern computing needs. After all, our current keyboard setup has its roots in avoiding keysticking on old typewriters and was not designed with speed typing in mind.
To rectify the problem, the firm has produced what it believes to be a “logical and ergonomic” alternative with a purportedly low learning curve and higher suitability to portable devices like phones and tablets.
Loosely modeled on the shape of a bee, the keyboard allows for either one-handed or two-handed typing and has a bigger key size for those with less delicate fingers.
The firm has also changed key layout in a way it claims is “alpha-character efficient” taking the frequency of use of each character into account.
You can see a video of the keyboard below, or even download it to an Android smartphone or tablet to give it a go in touchscreen version.
The firm says it is looking for investment to build an actual physical version next year.
Radical radial shift in how humanity types or another failed alternative keyboard flop, what do you think? Let us know in the comments below:
|
|
|
|
|
Navigate to related information
Mineyes
7/18/2012 3:34 PM EDT
Use conventional layout, make the key displays programmable. Honeywell had a "Programmable Display Pushbutton" in the 1980's. Each individual arrange key functions to suit themselves. US, French, etc. layouts, make key functions user selectable.
Sign in to Reply
Wnderer
7/18/2012 4:37 PM EDT
I hate it. The control key is in the wrong place. If I'm doing CAD or playing video games my pinky is on the control key and I sweep the keys
QWERTY
ASDFGH
ZXCVBN
My other hand is on the mouse. My trouble is hitting control UIOP, JKL, and M. Altium uses CRTL M for measure, which is a pain. I need a shorter space bar another Left control to the right of Alt.
Sign in to Reply
David Ashton
7/18/2012 6:59 PM EDT
Like the Dvorak keyboard, it might be a good idea, but will never do more than niche sales. The QWERTY is too entrenched. Yes, the reasons it was made like that are long gone, but it's a standard of sorts and keeps going due to its own momentum. You'd have to start a whole generation on any new keyboard and I can't see that happening.
It's bad enough going to France and having to cope with AZERTYs, there are too many people comfortable with QWERTYs to make major changes like this.
Mybe the trick would be to have a more standard layout and change the keys with a switch, with LEDs projecting the key function onto the keytop from underneath. That would cope with oldies and newbies.
Sign in to Reply
msar2020
7/19/2012 10:01 AM EDT
There is the Optimus range of keyboards. There is the Optimus Tactus concept of a keyboard sized touchscreen, while the Optimus Maximus has OLED keys.
Sign in to Reply
chanj
7/19/2012 2:30 AM EDT
I agree with David. The hill of pushing a new keyboard layout is too steep. Dvorak keyboard, which claims to be more effective, has never got popular. The invention is great to certain extent. If it can be operated with 1 hand, the chance of getting it widely adopted may be higher. Otherwise, the product may take a long time to have a reasonable ROI.
Sign in to Reply
Khannea
7/19/2012 3:07 PM EDT
I offer myself as tester. Please contact me.
Sign in to Reply
Khannea
7/19/2012 3:08 PM EDT
However it needs seperate WASD functionality.
Sign in to Reply
NimrodO0l1
7/19/2012 6:45 PM EDT
My father ran a test of the Dvorak keyboard for the military during WWII. They built 20 Dvorak keyboard machines and had secretaries use them for a month. At the end of the month, the secretaries were typing 40 to 60% faster.
When the test ended, they offered the typewriters to the secretaries. All of them turned down the 'gift's.
Main issue: when applying for a transfer or a new job, they would be given typing tests on the new employer's machine. Since both speed and accuracy counted, they believed that using the new layout would destroy their employability.
Sign in to Reply
constant314
7/19/2012 10:23 PM EDT
Maybe we should reorder the alphabet. Let it start with QW and end in NM. Start teaching it with kindergarten kids.
Sign in to Reply
BobsView
7/20/2012 8:45 AM EDT
Isn't technology racing toward "keyboard-free" computers, i.e. "touch-screens"? The public probably won't even know what a computer is in the future; they will be just known as digital assistants, or something like that.
Remember the scene in Star Trek where Scotty picks up a computer mouse and talks to it. Why would anyone in the future want to use a keyboard?
Sign in to Reply
KB3001
7/20/2012 9:08 AM EDT
Totaly agree.
Sign in to Reply
David Ashton
7/20/2012 7:31 PM EDT
I think Bob's right, between touch screens and voice recognition, keyboards are going to become rarer.
Sign in to Reply
eewiz
7/23/2012 8:16 AM EDT
yup, but some of them are still going to be around. For those I would prefer Mineyes solution of programmable display keys
Sign in to Reply
abraxalito
7/20/2012 9:48 PM EDT
Whyever would they need investment to build a physical version? Does this imply they've so far only tested on a touchscreen? Keyboards are so one-before-last century.
Sign in to Reply
no_longer_an_engineer
7/20/2012 10:31 PM EDT
We might use fewer keyboards, but they're not going away. I wouldn't even say that they'll be "rare." They just work much better for tasks such as writing or data input than touch screens or voice recognition.
Sign in to Reply
abraxalito
7/21/2012 8:32 AM EDT
Yeah they're definitely not going away, but with more and more mobile usage into the future there's a huge opportunity for somebody to do original thinking 'outside the box'. This keyboard doesn't appear to be it.
Sign in to Reply
hm
7/21/2012 7:53 PM EDT
Looks cool idea and great effort. But it may not be very applicable in current situation.
Sign in to Reply
Denis.Giri
7/30/2012 4:26 AM EDT
WASD switch to ZQSD (for AZERTY keyboards) is already badly supported in about half of the online (flash) games.
We would first require all applications to offer flexible keyboard settings before even thinking of such a radical change in keyboard layout.
ie: first ask software developers to support all existing keyboard layouts before introducing even more of them.
Sign in to Reply
Brian Fuller2
8/13/2012 5:10 PM EDT
I agree with Mr. Ashton (as I almost always do)... This is a technology in search of an application. No one's going to spend time re-learning a process we know too well. It could be used on toddlers to teach the next generation, but there's no compelling reason--or market--for either improved muscle health or productivity.
The current QWERTY configuration is "good enough." And, if you are a proficient typer, far more productive than usable speech-to-text apps such as Dragon.
It ain't broke. Don't fix it.
Sign in to Reply