Google Japan Unveils 116-Key Conveyor Belt Keyboard, Publishes Files
The Gboard Conveyor Belt Version mounts keys on four looping belts and moves them to the user's finger; design files are on GitHub.
Google Japan's Gboard team has unveiled the Gboard Conveyor Belt Version, a DIY keyboard with keys mounted on four looping belts, and published the design files on GitHub under an Apache 2.0 license, according to techradar.com.
The keyboard carries 29 keys per belt, totaling 116 keys, and the belts move characters toward the user's finger. Uppercase and lowercase letters have separate keys, so no Shift key is needed.
Only the motorized “Moving Keys” edition is documented. The Bluetooth edition and the board files are marked “coming soon” on the project's GitHub page.
Google has no plans to market or sell the device. It is the 15th entry in Google's series of keyboard proposals; the GitHub index traces the series to a drum-kit input system released on October 1, 2010, with the series returning on October 1, 2021, after a pause in 2020. Recent entries include a bar keyboard with every key in a single row, a keyboard worn as a hat, a double-sided board, and a rotary dial keyboard.
Quick answers
Can I buy the Gboard Conveyor Belt Version?
No. Google has no plans to market or sell the device.
Where can I find the design files?
The design files are published on GitHub under an Apache 2.0 license.
What editions of the keyboard are documented?
Only the motorized “Moving Keys” edition is documented; the Bluetooth edition and board files are marked “coming soon.”