Adaptive Keyboard applications

Question

Folks, Can you see any potentially breathtaking applications for these unique keyboards ? (youtube videos at the bottom)

http://www.acm.org/uist/uist2010/Student_Contest.html

The main crux is where can a constantly modifying input device generate higher productivity as against a normal input device?

Can the keyboard's input device be used for a entirely unexpected as well as interesting way ? more information here : http://www.microsoft.com/appliedsciences/content/projects/AdaptiveHardware.aspx

Thank you in adv.

Answer 1

• Character sets that won't fully fit on a conventional keyboard, like Chinese.
• Alternate keyboard layouts like DVORAK.
• Obscure, symbolic languages like APL.
• Non-alphanumeric applications like music production (start-stop-rewind, etc.)
• Gaming
• Industrial automation.

Answer 2

This is very similar to the Optimus keyboard which I believe you can buy right now. It can switch functions depending on the current application, e.g. game keys, or Photoshop specific functions. They also have cheaper variants, where only some of the keys are LCD/programmable.