Laser Keyboard

[ThermalRunaway]

Hi guys,

I've recently bought a laser keyboard (see attachment) and, apart from the fact that it appears to have an intermittent fault, when it is working I am extremely impressed with it.

I've been wondering how this works and I thought maybe one of you lot could offer a suggestion. How does the laser "paint" the image of the keyboard out? I'm assuming it must scan somehow and switch on/off at the right times to paint the graphics out. I can't see any moving mirrors that would create the scan though...

It's also quite impressive how it senses when your finger hits a key. I'm guessing it does this based on how far off the ground the laser projector is, and therefore it knows where the graphics will be displayed. It would probably only work when it is sat at a 90 degree angle to the desk. It really is very impressive though!

Brian

 

[Sceadwian]

These things have a really high cool factor but a very low usability factor. Most people don't like them because there is no tactile feedback, and it's a little disconcerting when your keyboard is drawn on the top of your hands. Given the size of some of the fold up QWERTY keyboards out there that have a real feel they not really not that useful.

 

[ThermalRunaway]

I would agree if we were talking in terms of a PC keyboard, and actually you can use it with your PC if you want to, but for me it's purely for my PDA.

I hear what you're saying with regard to the foldable keyboards, and you're right I probably swayed towards this for the geek-factor more than anything else.

Suprisingly though, it is very responsive in use and in that respect it has impressed me.

Brian

 

[Sceadwian]

As far as image projection goes I'm going to bet it's probably a holographic lens. I've gotten them on a few 5 dollar gimicky laser pointers where you put on a different cap and it defracts the laser into little smiley faces or skulls or what not. Sensing is probably done with a cmos camera. It knows what image to expect when it's setup on a flat surface, so it can measure the displacement and hence where your fingers are, a little bit of proper timeing and knowledge of how people type and it's probably not too hard.

What kind of typist are you though? I imagine it works pretty well with a hunt/peck method or one or two keys at once, but can it stand up to full speed touch typing? I haven't looked at my keyboard in years (I've actually worn the lettering off common letters) and can easily hit 60-80 when I'm typing something off the top of my head or copying something. My error rate is horrible, but the speeds up there =>

 

[ThermalRunaway]

I type very fast using both hands. With regard to the laser keyboard, I would say that I'm extremely impressed with it's responsiveness but I have had to slow my typing down a little bit.
If I type at my fullest speed I find that it generally keeps up but drops the odd bolock with the characters. But even when I slow down, I'm still typing impressively fast on it!

In truth, it'll only be used for writing journal entries on my PDA and recording symptoms/faults on my PDA based database for work stuff so it's fine for that. I probably wouldn't want to live with it as a full-time main keyboard on my PC.

Brian

 

[Sceadwian]

The only major concern I'd have as a main entry method is dirt on the laser projector/camera window. For reliability and every day use I still think I'd go with a fold up PDA keyboard. Sides the 'cool' factor might be an inhibiting issue at work as everyone's gonna ask "What's that?!" and you'll spend hours fending people off <smirk>

 

[things]

that is so cool, how much did it cost?

 

[Sceadwian]

They're pretty expensive. But truly geek chique.
https://www.virtual-laser-keyboard.com/?an=google

 

[things]

another thing i want, it looks awesome

 

[ThermalRunaway]

I was quite lucky with mine, I got it for £40 on Ebay (including postage).

Brian

 

[Andy1845c]

I'm still wondering how it works.....

If I place my hands on the "home" keys, I cover asdfjkl; as well as cxz and m,./, how does the laser board know what i'm "pushing" and whats just covered up?

Very cool though

 

[Sceadwian]

It's the angle the beam is projected at, it's very similar to the way a laser scanner works, it can tell when it's image is being displaced.

 

[ThermalRunaway]

It's the angle the beam is projected at, it's very similar to the way a laser scanner works, it can tell when it's image is being displaced.

Having played around with the keyboard I don't think the laser has any function other than to project the image of the keys. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with recognising which key you've actually pressed. If I cover up the laser's window the image obviously dissapears but I can still type away!

Brian

 

[ericgibbs]

hi bian,

>> Having played around with the keyboard I don't think the laser has any function other than to project the image of the keys. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with recognising which key you've actually pressed. If I cover up the laser's window the image obviously dissapears but I can still type away![/I]

That sounds like an effect that could be built on.

It means you could have a paper keyboard layout on the desk, with the laser keyboard projection to align it,
blank the laser beam and type from the paper.

Next step to try would be to locate the laser projector above your PC display, with the laser image on the screen,
blank the laser it and use a programmable 'template' on the screen as a touch screen detector...???

Interested to know if its feasible.

 

[epilot]

Hi guys,

I've recently bought a laser keyboard (see attachment) and, apart from the fact that it appears to have an intermittent fault, when it is working I am extremely impressed with it.

I've been wondering how this works and I thought maybe one of you lot could offer a suggestion. How does the laser "paint" the image of the keyboard out? I'm assuming it must scan somehow and switch on/off at the right times to paint the graphics out. I can't see any moving mirrors that would create the scan though...

It's also quite impressive how it senses when your finger hits a key. I'm guessing it does this based on how far off the ground the laser projector is, and therefore it knows where the graphics will be displayed. It would probably only work when it is sat at a 90 degree angle to the desk. It really is very impressive though!

Brian

Probably the below links would help you to understand the story of virtual keyboards.

https://www.vkb-support.com/learn_more.php

**broken link removed**

**broken link removed**

**broken link removed**

 

[Sceadwian]

Acording to that link I was both right and wrong. Looks like the red laser template is just for show like Thermal said, the real goings on happen bellow with the IR laser diode parallel to the work surface and the cmos camera actually respoding to IR laser diode not the projected image, which could be of pretty much anything you wanted if you had the ability to create new hologram filters for the difraction element.

The laser diode parallel to the working surface actually makes a lot of sense, I think I might actually like one of these things, though I might have to learn to lift my fingers are little further off my keyboard than normal. There's no touch feedback at the key surface, and resting fingers would respond like a key being held down. Still nifty though. And eric is right, for stationary sitations this seems like it could be a very interesting.