Keyboard Builders' Digest

What "opinions" are you talking about? It's so customizable that it is SO much less opinionated than a standard keyboard.

This seems crazy to me. I program with my Ergodox perfectly fine. It's so much better for programming because all the silly symbols I need can be wherever I like.

You can put the [] keys wherever you like. You can have a brackets/symbols layer activated by holding another key, so you don't even have to move your hand to get any symbol you want.

I don't do this for brackets but I do have a movement layer which puts the arrows and pgup/pgdn/home/end right under my right hand on the home row. So I hold my thumb on a thumb key and then I can use arrows without even moving my hand.

I also have other keys on that layer send the higher Function keys that aren't even on a standard keyboard (F13-F24), so they are picked up by Autohotkey and I can run any kind of script I want from that. I use that to move windows to certain locations. I have a key on that layer to immediately bring up the calculator. I also have media controls right there. Really it's limited only by your imagination and how much effort you're willing to put into making things happen.

It's 1000x more flexible than a standard keyboard because I can put keys that I need regularly either on a layer linked to a thumb key, or basically any crazy setup you can possibly think of with tap layers or whatever. https://docs.qmk.fm/feature_layers

If you can't find a place for brackets, you really should…

What you've built is a work of art, it blew my mind the first time I came across it. I love the completeness of vision (boomboom tss).

I've only just realised that you've opensourced it all so I haven't looked at the code yet, but a couple of Qs:

- is there anything that the old wave your fingers at the screen pose detect model did better the new screenpalm method? I always wondered if you were detecting the angle of motion (pronation?) for each finger to tilt its keywell, and I guess it's maybe harder to do that with the new method.

- have you ever thought about using the measurements for one hand to spot measurement outliers in the other? Would it ever make sense to generate a symmetrical keyboard from the combined measurements of both hands?

- have you thought about collaborating with other keyboard designers to add their designs to the app and give them a cut? For example the Cygnus[0] is a stunning keyboard; I'm not sure if it is parametrically generated, but I do remember thinking that I'd absolutely pay money to get one tailored to my hand geometry, and then wondering whether you could ever pull off building a designer marketplace/ecosystem out of the whole thing, maybe with a little sdk. It's one thing that the aliexpress copycat sellers can't copy.

Also somehow only just realised that you have a blog. I might go read it.

[0]: https://kbd.news/Cygnus-1.0-2307.html

Low profile ergonomic mechanical keyboard is a pretty deep hole to dive into.
You can design your own PCB, order it from manufacturer and build the exact keyboard you want (split, wireless, with knobs, any form and key count).
It is not for everyone and might require soldering, but possibilities are endless.

Additional resources:

- r/ErgoMechBoards: https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMechKeyboards/

- Low Profile Discord: https://discord.com/invite/dBSRZ2a

- Collection of split low profile mechanical keyboards: https://kbd.news/tag/low-profile/

- "A Tiny, Ultra-Affordable Keyboard You Can Build Yourself!" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqpBKuEVinw

I agree and have experimented with related ideas. In a sibling comment thread.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43985513#44016985

https://kbd.news/Tackle-keyboard-2549.html

I want to try some version of this next. I’ve tried tap strap (overlaps with glove idea) and I currently use a retractable lap approach, where the keyboard folds out from chest to be used, it’s still too much friction and too awkward.

This Tackle keyboard approach is a bit obvious once you see it if one can be fully touch type without crossing middle then a split keyboard mounted on torso could work… perhaps … these things require actually trying I’ve found.