What is 'DataHand', a keyboard that allows you to enter all the keys with just the movement of your finger?
DataHand
https://www.microsoft.com/buxtoncollection/detail.aspx?id=75
Adjustable, Low-Impact Keeb Is About As Comfortable As It Gets | Hackaday
https://hackaday.com/2021/04/02/adjustable-low-impact-keeb-is-about-as-comfortable-as-it-gets/
lalboard | Hackaday.io
https://hackaday.io/project/178232-lalboard
Developed by DataHand Systems, DataHand is a keyboard that allows you to enter keys with just the movement of your finger. DataHand is as follows, and it is a mechanism to put your hand on the device prepared for the right hand and the device for the left hand respectively and enter the key with your fingertips. It is ergonomically designed to require no wrist movement.
The behavior of the keys from the index finger to the little finger looks like this. Five types of input are possible: north, south, east, west, and press.
The thumb looks like this. In addition to the three types of north, west, and east, the left-hand side is in the southeast direction and the right-hand side is in the southwest direction.
The keyboard layout from the little finger (left) to the index finger (right) of the left hand looks like this.
The keyboard layout from the index finger (left) to the little finger (right) of the right hand looks like this.
Lightly press the right thumb key to enable 'NAS (Numbers and Symbols)' mode, and press hard to disable NAS mode. When NAS mode is enabled, the keyboard layout changes and you can enter numbers and symbols. The keyboard layout of the left hand when NAS mode is enabled is as follows.
The keyboard layout of the right hand when NAS mode is enabled is as follows.
In addition, there is also a mode that allows you to enter the numeric keypad and a dedicated mode that allows you to move the mouse cursor. By properly using these modes, it is possible to cover all the keys that exist in a normal computer with a small number of buttons. The keyboard layout is printed on DataHand.
The key returns to its basic position by the force of the magnet, not the spring. You can also adjust the position of the part where you put your finger, adjust the tilt of the device, and replace the pad where you put your hand. Since it is connected to the computer with a cable, you can also use the DataHand by placing it on your lap. You can check the video of how it is actually used from the following.
DataHand was sold at a price of about $ 2,000 at that time. Although it is expensive as a keyboard, some IT companies have introduced it in order to avoid the possibility that employees will hurt their hands in normal work and claim accident compensation.
Then in 2008, DataHand Systems went out of business due to a supplier problem, and DataHand production was discontinued. However, DataHand is being secretly improved and redeveloped among users who are obsessed with the appeal of DataHand.
The DataHand type device 'lalboard' developed by one such user, Ben Gruber, looks like this.
You can check the video you are actually using from the following.
lalboard demonstration --120wpm --YouTube
Gruber is still developing lalboard at the time of writing the article.
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in Hardware, Posted by log1p_kr