TouchKey

Introduction

With the increasing popularity of laptops, the use of a trackpad over a traditional mouse has quickly become more and more common. Trackpads disrupt the computer workflow and require the user to physically move his/her hand away from the keyboard to interact with the device. Thus, we would like to propose the idea of creating a silicon-based capacitive keyboard with an attached keyboard mat that registers touch and can be used as a keyboard, a trackpad, and a touch-based input device (for drawing applications). Users can switch between the different modes by hitting the keyboard mat with their right wrist. Soft robotics will communicate which mode the users are currently in by giving pneumatic feedback to the user's left wrist.

By creating a three-in-one keyboard, our group hopes to create a smoother workflow when using a laptop and explore the potential of the keyboard to reduce the health risks traditionally associated with physical mice. However, through our solution, we also hope to conduct preliminary explorations into the following areas:

- Usage of soft robotics as a non-visual medium of communicating information to laptop users.

- Usage of soft materials such as silicon to change the form factor of traditional keyboards and the effects of such changes on user's experiences with keyboards.

- The potential to use the keyboard not just as a platform for typing, but as a surface for interaction.

System Overview

Construction

Video