Microsoft Hardware Demos Pressure-Sensitive Keyboard

Krystalo writes to tell us that Microsoft hardware has an interesting demo of a pressure-sensitive keyboard they have designed. While there are no currently announced plans to turn this into a shipping product, there are many cool uses that one could imagine a device like this providing. "The device will be put to use in the first annual Student Innovation Contest in Victoria, Canada, where contestants will be supplied with a keyboard prototype and challenged with developing new interactions for it. Contestants will demo their creations and attendees will vote for their favorite at the conference on October 5. $2,000 prizes will be given to the authors of programs deemed as the most useful, the best implementation, and the most innovative."

Come on...

[Bobfrankly1]

Can't believe no one has made a musical keyboard comment yet...On the other hand, it seems we just keep getting closer and closer to LCARS.

Re:Another stroke of genious from MS

[digitalunity]

I can imagine a large variety of useful ways to use pressure sensitive keys in gaming and media editing. Specifically, with applying paint tools in GIMP or Photoshop.

Re:Another stroke of genious from MS

[Razalhague]

Then all we need is a pressure sensitive mouse. Or do they already exist? I'm not talking about tablets, a simple mouse with pressure sensitive buttons would be a lot cheaper than any tablet of reasonable size.