Google's Gboard development team in Japan has introduced a conveyor belt keyboard that brings keys directly to your fingertips. The "Gboard Kurukuru Version (くるくるバージョン)" is designed to allow typing every character using just one hand or even a single finger, and its design blueprints have been released as open source.
Google revealed the Gboard Kurukuru Version via its official blog on October 1. It is the latest entry in the DIY keyboard series that the Gboard development team unveils every year on October 1.
The development team started from the premise that traditional keyboards are designed for two-handed use, requiring significant arm and palm movement when typing with one hand or a single finger. From there, they arrived at the answer: "Make the keyboard move instead." Keys placed on a conveyor belt roll toward the user's hand, and the user presses the desired character as it passes by.
Each belt line holds 29 keys, allowing direct input of both uppercase and lowercase letters. The revealed specification features 116 keys arranged across four such belt lines. Since all characters can be entered with one hand, users can type while sipping tea or using a mouse with the other hand. The development team added that setting up a second unit to use both hands might boost productivity even further. They also teased a cat scratcher with cardboard keycaps and keycaps crafted using traditional stone-carving methods. Furthermore, using Voice Guide Mode allows users to easily press buttons relying solely on audio cues.
There are no plans for a commercial release. Instead, the design blueprints were published on GitHub, allowing anyone who gathers the parts to build the device themselves. The development team noted that they are also considering trend-matching color variations, a high-speed mode, a long version supporting more characters, and a portable short version.
Beginning in 2010 with the "Google Japanese Input Drum Version," the Gboard series released its 15th device this year. In 2022, they introduced a bar version with keys arranged in a single horizontal line, followed in 2023 by a head-mounted wearable input device. Last year, a dial version was revealed—using a rotary telephone-style input method where users insert a finger into a hole and turn, with triple-layered alphabet dials to keep the size compact. This year's Kurukuru Version continues the theme of rotation, flipping the concept so that the keys move instead of the hands.
As evidenced by the reveal, Gboard's hardware projects are devices crafted with lighthearted humor. The official FAQ even includes the question "Is today really October 1?", acknowledging that such a device was announced despite it not being April Fools' Day. However, the October 1 announcement date was chosen as a nod to standard "101-key keyboards," and although the device is not for sale, the development team put significant effort into creating a fully functional prototype and releasing the blueprints.
