Art-case objects, or designer brands are really into the market nowadays, specially-designed (and usually functioning) gadgets and gizmos; from Steinway pianos to cars to cellphones, they all have a usually radical design, and more often than not, some very special features. Usually produced in limited quantities, art-case objects are a growing trend that is hooking on to many - and a designer keyboard is no exception.

This revolutionary new project seems set to re-define the word "keyboard" from every aspect. Despite it still being a prototype not yet in production, is has managed to send shockwaves all over the computer world - and rightly so! Art. Lebedev Studios is a well-established, Russian-based design company than specialises in everything from graphic to industrial design - in fact, the design of the latest Samsung Microwave oven now selling in Russia was their own work.

The Optimus Keyboard is very special not only in its design, but particularly where its features are concerned. Each and every key can be re-assigned to any function; the whole keyboard is literally a puzzle block without any jagged edges, so keys can be moved around as radical as the user wishes. Any and everything can be displayed on the keys as an alphabet; plain English, Cyrillic, Russian, HTML codes - and so on to infinity, according to the company.

Well, that isn't all. Each separate key is implemented with an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display that not only lights up, but also displays the function of the key being assigned to (which picture can be further customised, and there are extra buttons on the left soley for this purpose.) Admittedly, this is a very unique trait - so not only can the keys be moved about, but the display on the keys also changes according to its function. But it doesn't stop there, though even if it had, it would still be very impressive anyway; the OLED displays are also able to project images onto the buttons, for switching buttons, modes, functions and the like. There's even a separate Photoshop layout where everything is layed out on the keyboard itself - and there's even a custom layout for the game Quake!

The computer world looks anxiously forward to the actual production version of the keyboard. To quote from the makers themselves, "Making things more complex, just as making them simpler, is a sophisticated method, which is to be used with care."

But until then, back to the Bronze Age of keyboards we go...
source: cyberwizardpit.net

written by Cristian M.