If you can think of a complex electromechanical device, there's a good chance someone has made a functional version of it using Lego bricks. 3-D printers. V-8 engines. Even the occasional 4-foot-long Nintendo controller. While these mechanical marvels are undeniably cool, they're often more of a gimmick than a practical gadget. However, there are rare miniature masons who combine form and function in a single project. Canadian artist Jason Allemann is among them. He's made a quirky, yet fully functional, QWERTY keyboard using a bizarre collection of bricks and an old Microsoft keyboard.

The device is unmistakably made of Lego parts, and allows Alleman to type 50-60 words per minute, yet the trademark studs are used sparingly. In fact, the only visible pegs on the keyboard are used in a functional capacity to help touch typists locate the home row. Other nods to the brand are far more subtle. "The styling for the sides is a tribute to an old version of the Lego logo from the '60s, which was red with the yellow, red, blue, white and black stripes at the bottom," says Alleman.

Despite being made of toy parts, the keyboard is remarkably complex. Lego's unforgiving grid meant that the keys wouldn't line up with the hit areas on the keyboard membrane. This led Alleman to design a matrix of axles, made entirely from Lego's Technic system, that allows the precise spacing the technology required. He also had to devise ways to keep individual keys from spinning and provide the durability needed to bang out angry Reddit comments without breaking the board. The resulting mechanism has some flexibility that takes getting used to, but is robust enough for Alleman to use on one of his computers.

Clever Key Work —————

While the keyboard works functionally, the clever keys are the centerpiece of the design. All the markings are from official Lego kits, with no labels or decals used. Alleman spent weeks scavenging tiles from countless sets to fill out the board. The letters A-Z were relatively easy to come by, but selecting more specialized glyphs required out-of-the-brick thinking.

The "caps lock" key is represented with a baseball cap taken from a minifig and a tiny tile depicting a padlock. A triangular roof tile represents the "home" key, an antenna brick lies flat across a tile represents the "/" gylph, and the "+" operator is a Technic support peg protruding through a brick.

>The more specialized glyphs required out-of-the-brick thinking.

Illustrated tiles help fill some gaps. "Scroll lock" is represented by a parchment from a medieval-themed kit. Alleman's girlfriend suggested using a tile depicting a T-Rex chasing a car as the "escape" key; an image of an upside down sock creates an ersatz question mark. "Alt" is a tough concept to visualize and required a touch of poetic license. In Disney movies, protagonists are altered with magic, usually visualized with a swirl of stars, hence, the "alt" buttons are depicted as shooting stars.

Some of these solutions may seem idiosyncratic, but a combination of muscle memory and careful design makes the keyboard intuitive. Alleman carefully considered every aspect of the keyboard's appearance, ensuring each key followed a consistent grid and similar functions were clearly defined. Multiple "lock" keys could have been confusing, but consistent color coding makes the arrangement feel natural.

Despite the achievement, Alleman is perfectly willing to disassemble keys if Lego ever releases new bricks that better suit his purposes. "There seem to be no Lego tiles with anything resembling a slash, backslash, or bracket pattern," he says. "There are definitely a few that desperately need improvement. I've got my eye peeled."