Optimus OLED Keyboard layout changes for different apps/games
by Conrad Quilty-Harper 
{ Jul 16th 2005 at 8:40AM }
If you've been looking for a gaming keyboard
that rises above the rest then your search may be over. The Optimus OLED Keyboard has a tiny screen behind every key
that is linked to the software that you are running on your PC or Mac. Whilst the keyboard is currently in the design
stage (patent pending) the creators hope for the keyboard to be available in 2006 for less than the price of "a good
mobile phone". Since most good mobile phones are free on contract we're not sure how to place the price ($300-500 would
be a good estimate).
Most interestingly the keyboard will support game keys layout, like the screenshot of a Quake 3 setup to the right.
There are a couple of questions still in the air, like how long it will last on battery power (it's wireless) and how
long the OLEDs themselves will last, but that doesn't stop me from salivating at not having to learn the hotkeys for my
latest game purchase. Plus it'd look damn cool on my already wires free desk.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
adrian @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
I would pay good money for this type of thing.
I'm imagining tying it into a music viz system, let's just hope they give us low enough access to it to be able to build things like that for it.
Kiryen @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
OLEDs would be cool, but I can imagine two reasons why people won't put down $300-500 for it:
1. Dead Batteries = blank keyboard, which might not end up being such a bad thing, see 2.
2. Hot Keys are only useful if you don't have to look the keyboard, so the OLED labels border on useless.
However, a keyboard like this could be useful for kiosks or introducing people to computers, since it could be set to only illuminate valid keys and key combinations in a given program, (e.g. Pressing Alt will dim all of the keys which cannot be used with Alt in a shortcut. The keys which can be used with Alt will have their labels changed to reflect their effect.)
And if you ever kill a key's OLED, just consider it another step in the process of learning to touch-type.
chris @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
the people making this must be creaming over the feedback they are getting right now, both here, and on /.
I want one. I admit that. But not wireless.
Phil @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
This is what the Revolution's controller will be like.
snortin_php @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
I don't believe that batteries would be too much of an issue. You have to consider that OLEDs are better because of the fact that they use very little power.
Combined though, it might take a bit of power, but not as much as you would think. I would say that by the time that this thing reaches production, we will probably have better batteries.
Arrakisman @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
WOW ... That puts my Zboard out to pasture.
www.zboard.com
Ben @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
Well... I wish that you can put your own movies in the keyboard, Now that would be cool!
Justin @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
#2: Why do OLED hotkeys border on useless? I don't see why the hotkeys on this keyboard are any different than the ones on your average Logitech keyboard. They're both labeled, only these are OLED and Logitech's are hard keys.
I'd totally drop a few bills on this. It's perfect for media apps like Final Cut Pro!
~J~ @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
Definately a fantastic idea, just one of those things you wish you'd thought of yourself!
Would be perfect for my blender usages and definately good for the old FPS's.
Only issue I can see if the power. I'm not an electronics expert, but I'd have though the power consumption on those OLED's would be huge. Unless it has some kind of AC charge input for the battery(ies) like on mobile phones and doesn't use conventional batteries.
guises @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
everybody's going nuts over this thing, and i admit that i think it looks pretty nice on the surface, but there is no mention of the actual construction. if they pair this very nice design with those crappy rubber "quiet key" springs then it will be a lot of money wasted.
Kiryen @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
#7 - I was thinking about its use in a gaming situation, which doesn't always allow time for one to glance at the keyboard and hunt for the correct key. (Well, it does, but you might get killed.)
As for normal use, I agree, labels for hotkeys are a good thing, especially if you have a row of 10 of them at the top of your keyboard.
On a more theoretical level, the idea is that the keyboard is just an interface, and as such should be as transparent as possible. Which is why users are encouraged to touch type, and from experience, I rarely have to look at the keyboard, even on my laptop, which has some functions mapped to fairly arbitrary key combinations (e.g. Wireless On/Off is FN + F2).
Rare Hare @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
i don't play enough PC games that this would be useful for to require a keyboard like this one. for this reason i can't see paying the price of a console for one.
now, if it was 75 dollars that might be doable.
Greenelf @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
Personaly I think it is worth it just for the cool factor
nine @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
"Would you like to expand the desktop on this 102 monitors?"
i realy badly want this type of keyboard. imagine itunes visualisations. or shifting color gradients while in screensaver mode. or... or or... there is no end to the posibilitys.
although i would say that for games i don't look at the keyboard it would be cool for any kind o program where you have many shortcuts.
Dean @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
We'll certainly this is a fantastic idea, and from some of the ideas that people have posted here we can begin to see the endless possibilities.
Few points I'd like to make out :-
1. Price will be expensive at first, but then production costs go down and we will see some sort of $99 price tag.
2. I doubt it will even need batteries, USB power maybe sufficient.
3. OLEDs are already being used in MP3 players so they are not expensive to make.
4. Education and goverment will certainly look into purchasing these.
5. Apart from just keyboards, OLED screens could be sold as plug in mini map USB screens for games or the other endless possibilities.
Great work artlebedev !!!
http://www.ledmotion.com
George @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
have a look here:
http://primotechnology.com/index.php?art=articles/0705/optimus/index.htm
it's an interview with the creators of the optimus.
i did some research on the technology involved. oleds do not require much power to operate, however the shear number on the board may make bus-power (max 5v) impossible. the creator comments that an external power source emay be needed, but seems to suggest it will not be 'wireless' as suggested in the article above.
i'd rather have a wired one anyway. replacing batteries half way through a cs:s match is *not* fun.
Jacob G @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
This keyboard would be wesome for anyone who has to use multi-lingual support and can't always remember what the deadkeys are for accents and other transliteration issues. I'd love to be able to use this with Greek, Arabic... I wonder if it will support Japanese, Big-5 etc...
quig @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
I just came across this post from 1988:
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/comp.cog-eng/msg/d63afa71ada5b033?hl=en&
PAOLO @ Dec 18th 2005 9:41PM
I SEE PEOPLE PAYING over 500 dollars for idiots cellular phones. Then use them just to make calls, quite like a 50 dollars phone.
Keyboard is basic, using a PC. I'll pay up to 350 dollars for such a keyboard, given its NOT wireless.
But OLEDS have a big problem: they won't last THAT long. Colors fade away with time.. take your time and study how OLEDS works: some organic material is involved in OLEDS constructions, and such organic materials wears down with time. That's a pity...