Rotary telephones, once a staple of the typical mid-century living room, were largely relegated to dusty basements and landfills after the advent of touch-tone telephones. But researchers at Google Japan have rewinded the clock and imagined a world where the iconic rotating dial lived on and eventually evolved into a full-fledged mechanical keyboard. They called their whimsical but completely impractical design “Gboard dialer version“
The keyboard has a set of nine differently shaped dials, each representing different functions such as letters, numbers and punctuation. In the center of the device there is a single massive return key. To make a selection, users insert their finger into one of the holes on the dial and rotate it to the desired “key.” When released, the dial returns to its original position. Then this process is repeated – again and again.
It's not exactly a form factor optimized for speed.
Engineers involved in the project say the mechanism produces a tactile, mechanical response and a “slight buzz” instead of clicking keys. On a technical level, the keyboard converts every rotation angle into a USB signal. The keyboard also comes with a plug-in mouse that automatically disables the user's webcam when it is placed on the appropriate dock. This is a clear homage to the long-forgotten manual process of ending a call by “hanging up” a rotary telephone.
Practicality is not the main thing
The rotating design is the latest in a string of quirky, unusual keyboard designs that Google Japan has released, mostly for fun. (Previous versions included cylindrical keyboard in the shape of a Japanese tea cup And giant 65-inch QWERTY keyboard arranged in one long strip.) However, those who want to buy a rotary model are out of luck. This is not for sale. Google Japan has uploaded the design files so that anyone with a working 3D printer and a little patience can make one for themselves.
And while Gboard may not seem all that practical, it may have a different, more therapeutic effect.
“Sometimes I slammed the keys when I was upset,” one Google researcher said in the video. “But since I switched to this keyboard, people say I've smoothed out the rough edges.”
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