The two-handed keyboard we use today isn’t the only possible option. One design that’s been around since 1968 is the chorded keyboard: a one-handed device that lets you use just a few keys in specific combinations to perform regular keyboard functions. The idea was originally conceived by Douglas Engelbart, the inventor of the computer mouse. Designer Erik Campbell is giving the chorded keyboard a new face with his jellyfish-inspired optical keyset.
This modern version of the one-handed keyset is designed to fit the hand and reduce stress on the fingers when typing. It takes up hardly any room on the desk, which is great for people who can’t seem to keep their workspace clean. The beauty of the chorded keyset is that, with enough practice, a user can type with these few keys even faster than on a a full-sized keyboard. For users with physical difficulties, typing efficiently with just one hand can be a great improvement over hunting and pecking on a keyboard.
The above image, of Doug Engelbart demonstrating his version of the chorded keyboard, shows how keys are pressed in combinations to perform functions, just like playing chords on a piano. Erik Campbell’s updated version of the gadget was commissioned by Engelbart himself; the inventor hopes that the new approach to the chorded keyboard can help give it new life.
May 24th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
I wonder if it could be made movable so it combines the functions of the keyboards AND the mouse!
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May 24th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Hmmm, don’t they sell "gaming" mice with five or so buttons? Maybe you could write a driver for one of these and make your dream real!
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May 24th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
How many left handed mouse clickers are there? That design looks like it’s to be operated by the right hand only.
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May 24th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
This keyboard would make me a SC god.
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May 24th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
I agree with you, also would be interested in the typing speed with that kind of "keyboard"
This comment was originally posted on Reddit