Google Japan Unveils Conveyor-Belt Gboard Keyboard, Publishes Open-Source Design

Google Japan has used Oct. 1 to show off unusual concept keyboards since the company ended its traditional April Fools' jokes in 2021. The date is a nod to the 101-key keyboard because 10/1 can be read as "101."

The design, which Google calls the "rotating Gboard keyboard," changes the usual typing arrangement. With traditional keyboards, users must move their fingers and hands around a stationary set of keys. Google Japan put the keys on a conveyor belt instead. The belt continuously moves the keys, letting the user press a character as it comes around. Each belt has 29 keys and accommodates both uppercase and lowercase letters. Instead of reaching for the A key, the user waits for the A key to reach them.

Google describes the design as a "Copernican revolution" in text input. The company says it is intended to make one-handed and single-finger typing much more efficient. If one conveyor belt is not enough, Google suggests building another one for two-handed operation.

Google does not plan to sell the keyboard. The Gboard team has published the design as open source, meaning users can build their own if they have the necessary skills, components, patience, and questionable judgment, according to Android Authority.

Editor's Summary Google Japan has introduced a DIY Gboard keyboard that places keys on a moving conveyor belt, allowing users to wait for the desired key to arrive. The design is open source and not for sale, continuing Google Japan's Oct. 1 tradition of unusual concept keyboards.