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This new screen-based keyboard is ingenius. It’s fully contextual for each application, but more importantly allows the user to set the language on the fly, as there is a small screen behind every key. Curious what you multi-lingual designers think of this. It doesn’t hurt that it’s beautiful.

As an observation, it’s interesting that this came from a Russian firm where they’re probably tired of a Latin-centric QWERTY world.

I wonder what the possibilities are for languages like Chinese with enormous character sets.

http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus/

Thanks Jen Panasik for the link.

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unknown

That is absolutely brilliant. For once in a blue moon, a machine that really is ingenious. It ought to make passive keyboards obsolete.

j a m e s

unknown

I love their site, especially their “Answers” page:

“It’s in the initial stage of production.
We hope it will be released in 2006.
It will cost less than a good mobile phone.
It will be real.
It will be OS-independent (at least it’s going to be able to work in some default state with any OS).
It will support any language or layout.
Moscow is the capital of Russia.
Each key could be programmed to produce any sequence.
It will be an open-source keyboard, SDK will be available.
Some day it will be split (and made “ergonomic”).
It will most likely use the OLED technology (e-paper is sooo slow).
Our studio is located two blocks from the Kremlin.
It will feature a key-saver.
Keys could be animated when needed.
It has a numeric keypad because we love it.
There’s no snow in Moscow in summer.
It will be available worldwide (why not?) “

ChrisL

unknown

I’ve been watching this for about a year now, glad you guys finally found it. This could be an amazing product.

unknown

Here’s a discussion about Optimus on Typophile:
http://typophile.com/node/17207

unknown

Thanks for pointing to the thread, I missed it.

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