Keyboard with configurable key display

 | 1 min

I love the idea of this new keyboard: Optimus Keyboard. Instead of characters and symbols being permanently printed or stuck on the keys, they tops of the keys themselves are mini LCD screens, and can dynamically change as required.

There are a number of possible uses for this, some that spring to mind are:

  • If you change language, they key labels can dynamically update (shown in screenshot on the Optimus page)
  • If you are using an application that maps keys to certain actions (eg, a graphics program or game), these actions can be shown (shown in screenshot on the Optimus page)
  • You can dynamically change from a qwerty layout to Dvorak, and the displayed keys can automatically update
  • The functions keys could be used to display their actual function depending on the currently active application, rather than just F1, F2 etc
  • They key labels could change from lowercase to uppercase and vice versa when you have CAPS LOCK engaged - providing more tangible and noticable evidence of the mode change than the current tiny LCD light somewhere on the keyboard

A possible drawback might be that they key labels are harder to see - I can imagine my parents having difficulty with it, but it's hard to say until I actually see one. Hopefully they become widely available soon.