Not a fan of typing on a touchscreen but don’t want to have to carry around a bluetooth keyboard just for your phone or tablet? There might be a new option on the table soon, so to speak. This prototype software tracks keystrokes by using the accelerometer to track vibration, turning all kinds of things into keyboards.
Designed by Florian Kräutli, the vibration keyboard seeks to solve a few of the problems with mobile data input. It can give you a full-sized keyboard without having to carry anything else around, except maybe a printout of a keyboard. And since it’s just software, it’s easy to see how this could be packed right into to products, or just bought in an app store.
Of course this comes with its own problems. Kräutli is shown demonstrating the tech at a crippled snail’s pace, and the board also requires training, which sort of destroys any portability benefit. And on top of all that, good luck trying to touch type. All in all, it might not be much better than a laser keyboard for the moment, but it’s still a neat idea if only that. [The Register]