UPDATE

) Key Layout (subject to change



/* *************** */

/* Layer 0: qwerty */

/* *************** */

/* _________________________________________ _________________________________________ */

/* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | */

/* | SHFT | Q | W | E | R | T | | Y | U | I | O | P | SHFT | */

/* |______|______|______|______|______|______| |______|______|______|______|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | */

/* | CTRL | A | S | D | F | G | | H | J | K | L | ; | CMD | */

/* |______|______|______|______|______|______| |______|______|______|______|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | */

/* | ALT | Z | X | C | V | B | | N | M | , | . | / | ALT | */

/* |______|______|______|______|______|______|_ _|______|______|______|______|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | */

/* | BSPC | CMD | | CTRL | SPC | */

/* | | | | | | */

/* |______|______|_ _|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | */

/* | TAB | SYM | | SYM | ENT | */

/* |______|_LYR__|_ _|_LYR__|______| */

/* | | | | | | */

/* | ESC | NUM | | AROW | ALT | */

/* |______|_LYR__| |__LYR_|______| */

/* */

/* */

/* */

/* **************** */

/* Layer 1: symbols */

/* **************** */

/* _________________________________________ _________________________________________ */

/* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | */

/* | SHFT | ~ | ( | ) | + | > | | : | & | * | | | | SHFT | */

/* |______|______|______|______|______|______| |______|______|______|______|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | */

/* | CTRL | ` | { | } | = | ' | | " | $ | % | ^ | \ | CMD | */

/* |______|______|______|______|______|______| |______|______|______|______|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | */

/* | ALT | | [ | ] | - | < | | / | ! | @ | # | ? | ALT | */

/* |______|______|______|______|______|______|_ _|______|______|______|______|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | */

/* | DEL | | | | _ | */

/* | | | | | | */

/* |______|______|_ _|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | */

/* | | FN | | FN | | */

/* |______|_LYR__|_ _|_LYR__|______| */

/* | | | | | | */

/* | | | | | | */

/* |______|______| |______|______| */

/* */

/* */

/* */

/* ************************* */

/* Layer 2: numbers/movement */

/* ************************* */

/* _________________________________________ _________________________________________ */

/* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | */

/* | SHFT | | HOME | UP | END | PGUP | | | 7 | 8 | 9 | | SHFT | */

/* |______|______|______|______|______|______| |______|______|______|______|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | */

/* | CTRL | | <- | | -> | ESC | | | 4 | 5 | 6 | | CMD | */

/* |______|______|______|______|______|______| |______|______|______|______|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | */

/* | ALT | | | DOWN | | PGDN | | | 1 | 2 | 3 | | ALT | */

/* |______|______|______|______|______|______|_ _|______|______|______|______|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | */

/* | | | | | 0 | */

/* | | | | | | */

/* |______|______|_ _|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | */

/* | | | | | | */

/* |______|______|_ _|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | */

/* | | | | | | */

/* |______|______| |______|______| */

/* */

/* */

/* */

/* ************** */

/* Layer 3: FKeys */

/* ************** */

/* _________________________________________ _________________________________________ */

/* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | */

/* | SHFT | | | | VOLUP| | | | F7 | F8 | F9 | F10 | SHFT | */

/* |______|______|______|______|______|______| |______|______|______|______|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | */

/* | CTRL | | | | MUTE | | | | F4 | F5 | F6 | F11 | CMD | */

/* |______|______|______|______|______|______| |______|______|______|______|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | */

/* | ALT | | | | VOLDN| | | | F1 | F2 | F3 | F12 | ALT | */

/* |______|______|______|______|______|______|_ _|______|______|______|______|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | */

/* | | | | | | */

/* | | | | | | */

/* |______|______|_ _|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | */

/* | | | | | JGSL | */

/* |______|______|_ _|______|______| */

/* | | | | | | */

/* | | | | | | */

/* |______|______| |______|______| */

/* */

/* */

/* */





Make Your Own

Print the Case

Wire it up

Paint it

Close it up

Firmware

3D Model Source Files

Original Post

"Manu-" = "Hand""-Form" = "Shape"This project changed a lot from conception to completion, as I guess most product designs do.The general design goals are:- ergonomic keyboard- 6 keys per thumb- all 6 thumb keys are ACTUALLY reachable ergonomically- all keys for all fingers are reachable without having to move the hands/wrists, thus losing their "home" (major culprits on a normal keyboard for this are ESC, backspace, number keys especially 6)- to achieve the above point we use a 40%/60% style where there are multiple layers triggered by function keys (in this case these are some of thumb keys)Original goal was to make it foldable/travelable too. That goal was scrapped, mainly because in all my prototyping I couldn't figure out a way to achieve the above goals without making the board contoured and "3D", and that basically makes it impossible to make it foldable too.This is the final product:Typing demo:Note that to get to the FN layer, you just hold down both of the "Symbol layer" keys at the same time.Not sure if anyone will be interested, but I decided to make this project open source.The one warning I'll give is that the column stagger is pretty aggressive. After making some prototypes with less stagger, I found that, for my hand at least, with my short pinkies, this worked best. If your hands are shaped differently this might not fit the "ManuForm" (Hand-shaped) moniker for you. I wish I had the skills to make the model fully parametric so you could adjust it and print a variation with different column stagger and thumb-length, etc.Anyway, if your hand is shaped kinda like this, and you like 40%-style (layered) ergonomic keyboards, you might love this board:So if you want to make one just like mine, here's what you'll need:The case is also the plate the holds the MX keys. You can print it ("buy" it) at shapeways here: http://www.shapeways.com/product/6BNKXTXTA/manuform-keyboard?key=9d07b99823474e036abe511d064ed4b0 . Full disclosure, there is a slight markup to buy that model, just to try to recoup some of the costs (probably close to $1000) of making all the prototypes and stuff that I did. You could get around that by using the original design files and uploading the model to your own shapeways account.You can see my pictures of how I wired it below. The controller is a Teensy 2.0 with header pins . The board that holds it is this one from ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-Pcs-DIY-Single-Side-Tinned-Prototyping-PCB-Circuit-Universal-Board-5cmx5cm-/231275000224?ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:1120 There are some wiring schematics I made here: http://imgur.com/a/QVU3J I would have loved to use this instead: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=45587.msg955666#msg955666 to house the teensy, but I didn't see that in time before the design was finalized.This is the paint I used. Two (light) coats of the color, and then one of the clear coat to protect it:The case is designed for M3x10mm bolts and nuts.* Bolts: http://www.grainger.com/product/APPROVED-VENDOR-Skt-Cap-Screw-22TY49?cm_mmc=EMT-_-ShipConfirm-_-GcomShipConfirm-_-sku&RIID=137151846&GID=&mid=ShipConfirmation&orderNumber=&rfe=5169c25bb51177fd6d0b14b8e8e74f029fa7562ceec35793fdcdb3043d428be6&origin=prod * Nuts: http://www.grainger.com/product/APPROVED-VENDOR-Hex-Nut-22UK74?cm_mmc=EMT-_-ShipConfirm-_-GcomShipConfirm-_-sku&RIID=137151846&GID=&mid=ShipConfirmation&orderNumber=&rfe=5169c25bb51177fd6d0b14b8e8e74f029fa7562ceec35793fdcdb3043d428be6&origin=prod I used @hasu's amazing TMK firmware. My fork (only difference is the addition of my project directory with the setup for my matrix) is here: https://github.com/jeffgran/tmk_keyboard You'll only need this if you're going to change the shape, but all of the source code and (editable) 3D models are on github, here: https://github.com/jeffgran/ManuForm --------------------------------------------------------------------------------The idea is a little portable ergo layout with lots of thumb buttons. After several design iterations I'm down to just 56 keys. When in use it is about 6x13 inches, when folded about 6x7 inches.The big knobs on the bottom allow for a little tenting when you set it up, but would probably be a little annoying when trying to pack this in your bag...There'd have to be a pin to stick down the underside of the spine, or maybe a latch of some kind, to keep the tent from collapsing under its own weight.What do you think the chances are I could actually get something like this made?Of course, it'd probably be a lot easier to do with without the tenting but this was the idea I dreamed up.Working draft of a layout:The bottom: