The No-key Keyboard is a design concept by Kong Fanwen, whose graphical artwork is so compelling that we couldn’t resist showcasing his dubious idea. The keyboard’s edge-lit glass has the keys etched into it, and a small camera and motion capture tech tracks your finger positions.
However, looks aren’t everything. While this might be the prettiest keyboard in the world, it can’t be the most user-friendly. Without tactile feedback, this might be even more awkward to use than that silent waterproof keyboard we showed you last week.
If we’re talking concepts here, why not just strive to perfect speech recognition and jettison keyboards altogether? It would be the no-keyboard keyboard. Plus, if you’re designing a flat touchscreen keyboard, might as well just make it a video surface, so you can change the key layout in an instant.
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Via Yanko Design
editor@dvice.com
By Jayson at 2:14 PM ON 06/12/08
Speech recognition is great and all, but like multi-touch (i.e. Surface and Windows 7) it won't become mainstream in computing. Can you imagine having to tell the computer to add borders on cells in Excel or editing photos? Call me old fashioned but I'll take a mouse and a keyboard anyday.
By CeridianMN at 8:40 AM ON 06/13/08
Not only would it be awkward to tell the computer how to format a document, but what about looking stuff up on the computer while talking on the phone?
"Windows error - unable to open 'timmy's teacher'."
By astralith at 10:34 AM ON 06/13/08
True BUT, what if an electrode link allows it to "know" when you are talking to it and not a person on the phone?
By Flow at 11:52 AM ON 06/14/08
Wired keyboard? BLAH.
By dagwud at 10:57 AM ON 06/16/08
Would "perfected speech recognition" work in loud environments? Something like this could be used in repair shops or other loud areas where clanging and banging make speech recognition problematic.
Or, consider using this in a messy environment. At the end of the day, a butcher would find it easier to disinfect a flat surface than to scrub around all the keys on the "silent waterproof keyboard".
By Eyes at 9:01 AM ON 06/17/08
Gamers need keyboards also...
Imagine trying to coordinate your game battle over your voice communications software while telling your movements and gestures to your computer through voice recognition software.
Also as someone else had mentioned, multitasking is extremely important, especially in the business world. Imagine if you were an account manager trying to take notes about the client you had on the phone... awkward.
By trainwrekk at 5:47 PM ON 06/18/08
'Plus, if you’re designing a flat touchscreen keyboard, might as well just make it a video surface, so you can change the key layout in an instant."
When was the last time anyone felt the need to switch the keys around on a regular keyboard? I never even considered this as an option until reading this, and even now I can't say that I would truly find it useful to move any of my keys around. But I guess it would be nice for the people who say, "Why can't these keyboards just have the letters in alphabetical order??"
By kristiancr at 1:47 AM ON 08/19/08
Is this keyboard comming to sell or is just a desing???