The keyboard has seen a lot of innovations. It’s an essential part of a computer or mobile device because it allows one to input characters and symbols that execute commands. Physical QWERTY keyboards are still the standard in desktop computers and laptops but for smartphones and tablets, touchscreen keyboards rule. But in the near future, we might use invisible or virtual keyboards. Let’s not forget the touchpad that is slowly replacing the poor old mouse.
Here’s a concept that we want to turn into a reality: Moky, the world’s first invisible touchpad keyboard. The idea is from a group of researchers from South Korea who aims to focus on gestures even with a touchpad or mouse. This “invisible” touchpad also works as a keyboard so there’s no need to carry separate devices when you’re on the go.
Moky looks like any ordinary keyboard but this one comes with touch sensibility that allows the user to type and drag, drag and tap, drag and click, and multitouch. Feel free to type using the keyboard and control the mouse just on top of the keys. No need to hold an actual mouse because the Moky can read your hand.
To use the DRAG+TAP feature, select objects by tapping the surface of the keyboard. For DRAG+CLICK, use either the right click button or left click button found below the keyboard. Scroll using the multi-touch or pinch in or pinch out to zoom in/out with two fingers.
The Moky Invisible Touch-pad works well thanks to an Infrared (IR), a thin and safe laser sensor, that generates an optical touchpad when you want to use it. It uses a pantograph keyboard for faster typing and response. Moky includes Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity and boasts of a 3-month battery life if used for four hours everyday on average.
Moky Invisible Touchpad Keyboard is expected to work on Windows, Android, and Mac OS. However, only keyboard is supported on iOS. Device will be available in Moky Orange and Moky Blue.
If you wish to support the project, you can donate a minimum of $69 and you’ll get one keyboard. You can give as much as $2,900 (Business pack II) to receive 50 units of the Moky keyboard. Campaign goal is only $30,000 but the designers already raised more than twice the fund goal. As of this writing, amount raised is already more than $64,000.
SOURCE: Indiegogo
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