Google Japan has revealed a new concept keyboard called the "Gboard Conveyor Belt Version," which delivers keys directly to the user's fingertips via a rotating belt system. This unconventional design features four columns of vertically stacked keys that move on a belt, allowing users to type without moving their hands. The idea is to streamline the typing process by having the desired keys rotate into position.
According to Google Japan's team, the conveyor belt keyboard aims to "streamline typing in the exact same way" that conveyor belts improved factory productivity. They describe it as a "key advancement" that enables users to "fluidly convey your ideas" and ushers in a "whole new era of touch-and-go typing."
This is not the first time Google Japan has released such whimsical keyboard concepts. Previously, the company unveiled a rotary keyboard and a keyboard featuring a long stick of single keys. However, the conveyor belt design appears to be the most elaborate yet.
Future developments are reportedly in the works, including multiple colorways and a high-speed mode designed to enhance hand-eye coordination. Planned features also include swappable cardboard key caps for nail care and a "voice guide" mode that audibly announces the passing keys. The team concludes by calling it "a keyboard to come, built for the era to come."
The novelty of the conveyor belt keyboard serves as a poignant reminder of Google's past, characterized by a greater sense of humor. In contrast to the company's current corporate image, this initiative from Google Japan suggests a lingering spirit of playful innovation.