This magical glass keyboard right here looks like something that came out of a design student's final project. And who knows, it might have. But thanks to Kickstarter, it's going to be made real, and you can sign up to buy one. Supposedly, it'll even work, too.
Jason Giddings' glass keyboard and mouse concepts are both based on a very simple principle which gives them the capability to operate as multi-touch surfaces. An infrared LED shines inside a strip of tempered glass which acts as a light pipe, where the infrared light bounces back and forth as it's reflected from the interior surfaces of the glass. If you place your finger on the glass, though, the IR light gets scattered, and an IR camera below the glass can pick up on this scattering and tell where on the keyboard you're poking. As long as there's enough light to scatter, you can touch the keyboard in as many spots as you want, and the camera will have no trouble picking up on them all. It'll be able to handle gestures, too.
The design of the keyboard and mouse definitely deliver on the possibilities that are offered by this IR touch-sensing technology. They're wireless and rechargeable, with comfy wrist wrests and bases made from actual solid metal (amazing!). Mood lighting and tactile sounds are included too, and you can change the key layout with a software tweak and new keyboard sticker.
There doesn't appear to be a prototype yet, which is slightly worrisome, and you have to remember that once funding is achieved (which is definitely going to happen here), Kickstarter is no longer directly involved and you and your investment are on your own. You've still got more than 30 days to see which way the wind blows on this, and if you decide you want to get your hands on these futuristic peripherals, it'll cost you a pledge of $150 for the mouse, $250 for the keyboard, and $350 for both. LINK
Kickstarter, via OhGizmo
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