When the OLED keyboard Optimus Maximus by Art. Lebedev Studios was first announced, there was a huge hype about it’s futuristic features. People went on and on about how groundbreaking it was, and how it would come to change the keyboard as we knew it. As soon as the price was announced, that hype quickly died down. It was simply too expensive for most people. Now it seems a new concept e-ink keyboard could steal the thunder, and even make reality out of it.
This e-ink keyboard concept was developed by designers Maxim Mezentsev and Aleksander Suhih, and it is an attempt to finally make a reality out of a dream many people have had for a long time. Being able to change the letters, numbers and images on the keys of a keyboard could render this the ultimate tool for any software. Imagine working in Photoshop and with the click of a button you have all the shortcuts, commands and even the tool icons pop up on the e-ink keyboard. If anything, that would make work a whole lot easier and faster, at least for people who haven’t had much experience with Photoshop for an extended period of time.
The keys on this e-ink keyboard are not really advanced technology. I mean, it is, but the assembly of it is easier than you might imagine. Instead of just popping on a plastic key with an imprinted number or letter on it, this e-ink keyboard has a layered assembly approach. By layering the e-ink sheet within the key, it makes the button both robust, responsive and durable. It’s something a lot of people have questioned about the Optimus Maximus keyboard. A keyboard is one of the devices that gets a beating over time. Making it durable is the first thing any developer and manufacturer looks at.
For now, this e-ink keyboard is just a concept design, but in the future things might get a whole lot different. With e-ink rapidly progressing into quite an impressive technology, making it in color should not be too far off either. That would of course mean the Optimus Maximus keyboard would get a whole lot of competition. Sometimes it’s great to be first, but only if you make sure your gadgets are cheap enough for people to actually buy them. Once again, simplicity is everything, and this e-ink keyboard certainly pulls that off in a good way!
E-inkey – E-Ink Keyboard Concept Design
Via: [Yanko Design]
COMMENTS