Have you ever thought about what keyboards might look like in the future? It is one of those peripheral devices that has changed over the years from those early mechanical typewriters to modern types like the sleek, ultra-thin PC keyboards designed for comfort and efficiency. Of course, the evolution of the keyboard has been in tandem with tech.
In other words the future of the keyboard is hinged on what the future of tech looks like. In fact, we are already seeing the emergence of new technologies like AI, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and even brain-computer interfaces and it’s interesting to see how they will impact the future keyboard.
A Brief History of the Modern Keyboard
Before we even delve into predicting how the future keyboard will look like, it is perhaps best to glance back to how the modern keyboard came to be.
Now, it all began with the typewriters. Yes, those enormous, noisy machines that took a lot of finger muscle to operate. The modern QWERTY keyboard was inspired by the QWERTY typewriter created by Christopher Latham Sholes in the 1870s. The inspiration behind this keyboard was to minimize typewriter jams.
Back then the traditional typewriters used individual type bars for each character. The bars would strike the paper when a key was pressed, but if two bars were activated in quick succession then they would often jam.
The QWERTY keyboard layout is still very much the standard and most widely adopted layout to date.
As tech evolved in the 20th century the old mechanical typewriters were replaced by what are known as electric typewriters. These types essentially replaced mechanical components with electric motors, making typing much easier and faster. One of the most popular models at that time was the IBM Selectric typewriter. This keyboard model replaced individual type bars with a spherical typing element, known as the typeball.
This typeball rotated to the correct character position, and when a key was pressed, the ball would strike the paper directly. The jamming problem had been solved as there was no need for multiple type bars to physically collide or interfere with one another!
Long story short, today keyboards have become more sophisticated and diverse. There are now options like membrane type keyboards which are soft, quiet, and ideal for use in places like. There are also types like mechanical keyboards in the market which use what’s known as mechanical switches. They tend to have a nice typing feel and they are quite popular among pro-leve typists and gamers.
Technology has also given birth to the likes of foldable and wireless keyboards thanks to development in wireless tech like RadioFrequency and Bluetooth technology.
It’s worth noting that there are already some interesting attempts to innovate like what’s known as the Charachorder. Unlike a standard keyboard where each key corresponds to one letter or character, this input device operates on a chording system. So, instead of pressing one key at a time, you press multiple keys simultaneously (like chords in music) to produce letters or characters.
Well, human-computer interaction is advancing pretty quickly, which means that the keyboard as we know today may soon be replaced by something altogether new.
What’s the Future of Keyboards?
Judging from the evolving consumer trends and tech, the keyboards of the future are expected to be more flexible, adaptive, and who knows, even invisible!
Let’s take a sneak peek into some of the most exciting advancements that are expected to impact keyboard technology in the coming year:
➤ The Future Keyboard Ergonomics
Keyboard designs today have already shifted towards delivering comfort and efficiency. They tend to be geared towards reducing strain on the hands and wrists whilst improving typing efficiency.
Again, there are already attempts to tweak the keyboard standard layout even further.
The Charachorder is a great example of this, albeit it hasn’t really been able to take off. This device has attempted to go compact than a traditional QWERTY keyboard and it uses fewer keys, around 10-12 keys. It’s thus much more smaller and more portable compared to standard keyboard
The future keyboard might even be smaller and more portable. It might even inculcate more advanced ergonomic features, like adaptive key layouts that shift to match your hand positioning. It could also take advantage of biometric feedback to adjust key placement based on your finger size, hand position, or muscle fatigue.
There is even a possibility that AI-powered heat maps might even be used to determine the most comfortable typing posture for you!
➤ Virtual and Augmented Reality Keyboards
Imagine wearing AR glasses and seeing a floating keyboard appear directly in front of you. You would text in the air while having sensors track your movements, as opposed to physically pushing keys. AR/VR keyboards are already being tested by companies, enabling typing without a physical device.
There is a challenge, though. Achieving a natural feel is one of the biggest obstacles with AR/VR keyboards. Haptic feedback, or rather, tiny vibrations or sensations will have to be used to simulate the feeling of pushing keys so that it feels less like you’re tapping into thin air.
If this technology is refined, this would revolutionize typing, particularly for people who work in virtual settings.
➤ Gesture-Based Keyboards
Why bother pressing keys when you can just move your fingers? Simple hand gestures could eventually take the role of traditional typing on gesture-based keyboards. Imagine if typing was similar to how certain smart TVs allow you to manipulate the screen with your hand.
This could provide a different method of using computers without requiring fine motor skills, which could be very helpful for people with disabilities.
➤ Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs)
Though it sounds like something from a science fiction movie, BCIs are already being developed. BCIs are a form of technology that allow people to operate computers with their minds. In other words all you have to do is to just think about what you wanted to say and the computer would do the rest, rather than having you type out words one letter at a time.
Although BCIs are still in their early stages, they have the potential to eventually do away with the need for keyboards entirely. Imagine if you could just imagine your messages into existence and never have to type again. That is the type of advanced technology we have in mind!
➤ Adaptive and AI-Powered Keyboards
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already here and our interactions with technology are changing due the recent developments in that space. Of course, keyboards are no different. It is thus expected that keyboards in future will eventually start picking up on your typing preferences and change to accommodate them.
For example, the predictive text might get to the point where it can predict your next words, freeing you up to continue typing uninterrupted. Depending on what you’re doing, such as coding, playing games, or writing emails, the keyboard layout could even change automatically to accommodate your work.
➤ E-Ink and Flexible Keyboards
Another interesting advancement in the world of keyboards is the development of keyboards with customizable layouts. Think of having a keyboard that uses e-ink technology to change its keys according to the language or function you need. This will be a life changer, especially for multilingual users or professionals who have to frequently switch between different tasks.
The icing on the cherry is that this type of keyboard may even be able to fold or wrap up for easy portability if they are constructed of flexible materials created from ultra-thin materials.
Think of having a keyboard that is small enough to fit in your pocket but can expand when you need it!
The Link Between the Future of Human-Computer Interaction and the Future of the Keyboard
All said and done, the future of the keyboard has a lot to do with the future of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) will contribute to this evolution. HCI is essentially a niche study that focuses on optimizing how users and computers interact by designing interactive computer interfaces that satisfy users’ needs.
As computers become more embedded in our everyday lives, our methods of interacting with them will certainly keep changing. For example, although it is not anticipated that voice recognition technology will totally replace keyboards, it is quickly becoming an important part of our technological interactions. AI-powered smart assistants like Google Assistant and Siri, are already demonstrating that typing may not always be required.
Touch and gesture controls are also becoming more and more common as more gadgets are using them, which makes it easier to move away from conventional input techniques.
Wrapping up
In a nutshell it’s somewhat difficult to point a finger at how the future of the keyboard will look like. The physical keyboard might not be going away anytime soon but there will likely be big changes in the years to come. We expect that the future keyboard will be more compact, more portable and most importantly, an even more intelligent input device. It will undergo a significant change as a ripple effect to disruptive tech like AI, AR VR and the likes. Who knows, it might even be invisible in the long run!