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This is Not a Keyboard

Using this keyboard is a bit unusual.

 

No matter what you type, it insists on displaying "This is Not a Keyboard" on the screen.

How it Works

When you press a key, it triggers a mechanical hammer to hit a switch, rather than the typical action of striking an inked ribbon against paper.

 

Instead of leaving ink marks on paper, the metal in the hammer completes an electrical circuit, which then generates electronic signals.

 

These signals are sent via visible wires to an Arduino microcontroller board which processes the signals before sending it's interpretation to a screen where your typed text is displayed one keystroke at a time.

a wire with a bit of metal sticking out
cute drawing of a computer monitor that displays the text, "This is not a keyboard."

Why?

This keyboard's insistence on sticking to "This is Not a Keyboard" regardless of what you type might seem a bit counterintuitive, especially if you're used to user-friendly design.

 

Instead of a smooth and quick experience, it adds some complexity and can make you feel like your actions are slowed down. But there's a method to this apparent madness.

 

As you grapple with this unexpected output, you're encouraged to engage with it differently. Each key press becomes a chance to decipher how this unique typewriter functions.

 

It's not just a tool. It's a bit of a puzzle. And because the inner workings are visible, you can see how your input gets transformed, sparking curiosity and exploration.

Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of reality, collections of atoms, our imagination, or bits used in a fictitious manner.

 

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is either authentic and/or purely coincidental: a sequence of events that although accidental seems to have been planned or arranged—  "as are we all."

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