Rotary Keyboard (squidgeefish.com)

Article summary

The article describes a project where a rotary dial was integrated into a mechanical keyboard, allowing users to input numbers using the dial. The project involved hacking a cheap keyboard, using an Arduino to read the rotary dial's pulses, and 3D printing a shroud to hide the internals. The result is a functional, albeit slow, keyboard that can be used to input numbers. The project was intended as an April Fool's prank, but it has sparked interest and discussion about the potential uses and limitations of such a device.

Main themes

• Rotary dial keyboard
• Input methods
• Debouncing and pulse counting
• Creative hacking
• Practicality and usability
• Alternative input devices

What commenters say

• Some commenters think that a fully rotary keyboard would be impractical due to its large size and complexity.
• Others propose using multi-tap or T9 input methods to improve the efficiency of the rotary dial.
• A few commenters suggest that the slowness of the rotary dial could be a strength in certain use cases, such as eliminating the 'fat finger' problem in critical applications.
• Some argue that the project's impracticality is not the point, and that it is a fun and creative hack.
• There are differing opinions on the best way to debounce and count the pulses from the rotary dial, with some advocating for interrupts and others for busy-waiting or more complex algorithms.
• A few commenters mention the potential for using the rotary dial with other devices, such as SIP clients or Bloomberg terminals.
• Some think that the project's value lies in its ability to inspire new ideas and approaches to input methods, rather than its practicality as a finished product.