In a video, Google Japan teased a brand-new, tactile Gboard bar. It’s unlike the keyboard on a conventional computer and nothing like the touchscreen keyboard on a smartphone. On the keyboard, all of the keys are arranged in a row rather than being dispersed around the entire surface both vertically and horizontally.

The Google Gboard

Unlike with a traditional keyboard, the manufacturer argues that this lessens the need to be looking at the keyboard from all directions, i.e. moving your eyes. The user may have to start over in familiarizing themselves with each key of the keys until they locate what they’re looking for. This may even be a healthier alternative to regular keyboards because you would be able to extend your arm in order to type.

The keyboard is overall ergonomically great, and offers many health advantages, as the team shares: ​”When you use this keyboard, your arms will naturally spread out, so you can stretch your arms secretly even at work. When you press the rightmost and leftmost keys at the same time, you may stretch your legs unintentionally.”

It measures 5.4 feet, or about 1,650 mm. By this, you can assume that it’s really long. Not only is it longer than most desks, it’s not even arranged in alphabetical order. So it’s even harder to locate certain keys on it. Many have approached the release of the blueprint of this keyboard as a potential practical joke, because even though it does have some health benefits, it is undeniable that it’s actually not the most practical gadget out there.

Official statement

The announcement shared states: “The Gboard team works hard every day to give you the power to type anywhere, anytime. Gboard is a keyboard app that has excellent conversion performance, a theme function that allows you to use your favorite photo as a background, voice input, translation into foreign languages, and other useful functions. Available for both Android and iOS.”

Google shared that it doesn’t necessarily intend to mass produce the keyboard, saying that the product is too unique to be produced this way. Google Japan nonetheless created a distinct GitHub website and uploaded all the data files to assist users in understanding the keyboards and potentially design their own. Sounds very cool but may not potentially be the most useful gadget out there.

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Photo via Google Japan