Business
A team of Google engineers in Japan created a keycap-shaped keyboard that can be worn like a hat.
The device has a 6-axis inertial sensor that can read the position of the cap.
To change the code someone wants to type, the wearer simply rotates the cap left and right – allowing them to change characters.
To type a character the wearer has to press the cap in the same way as one presses a key on a computer keyboard.
The typing action is performed with an audible click that sounds exactly like the real thing.
The keycap hat is connected to a device such as a mobile phone or laptop by Bluetooth.
“Aiming for the top, we’re always brainstorming for better text input. When I was thinking about ways to make keyboards more portable and fashionable, I had an aha moment. (…) That’s when we developed this wearable keyboard,” the team said in a humorous video unveiling the hat.
The Gboard CAPS project is not an officially licensed Google product, but engineers from the company’s Japan division have open-sourced it by providing assembly and usage instructions on GitHub so that anyone can build a similar tool on their own.
Google Japan is known for its quirky sense of humor and willingness to create quirky devices.
Last year, the division’s engineers designed a 165 cm long keyboard in which each key was placed in a single row.
Like Gboard CAPS, the Gboard Bar is also open-sourced so anyone can follow the instructions and create one of their own.
Comment has been sought from Google in the post.