Google Japan unveils experimental Gboard Conveyor Belt Keyboard

Google Japan has unveiled the Gboard Conveyor Belt Keyboard, an experimental device designed to facilitate one-handed or single-finger typing. Unlike traditional stationary keyboards, this vertical model features four continuous conveyor belts that rotate in a loop, bringing the keys directly to the user’s stationary hand.

Each of the four belts contains 29 keys, covering both uppercase and lowercase characters. The design aims to reduce the need for finger movement across a surface by having the characters move toward the user. While the system includes a high-speed mode to assist with efficiency, the company notes that blind typing is difficult and may require practice to master hand-eye coordination.

This project is part of a long-standing tradition of unconventional keyboard experiments by Google Japan, which previously included rotary dial and long-form models. The conveyor belt version is not a commercial product available for purchase; however, Google has released the full blueprints, firmware, and assembly instructions as open-source documentation on GitHub for enthusiasts to build their own.