This must be one of those Japanese "quirky-fun, but useless inventions" things (chindogu). You know, like the toilet paper holder you strap to your head so you're never without a roll, or the vise you use to press two or more well-worn bars of soap together into a single, bigger bar.
In terms of design it reminds me of that bit of Animusic's "Pipe Dream" where xylophone bars of the appropriate pitch travel on a rail just in time to be struck by ball bearings from a stationary launcher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmoUSSVSV7I&t=2m12s
A. When we were considering the perfect day to announce the keyboard, we noticed the widespread use of the "101-key keyboard"—a type featuring 101 keys. So, we decided to launch it on October 1st as a nod to that standard.
As someone who almost never looks at the keyboard while typing, I find it's a regression since you have to wait and look at the keyboard to type. More than that, having to keep the hand in this position will most likely give you cramps.
Maybe I misunderstood the concept from the video, but I don't find it appealing.
And I here like a moron using _layers_ in my corne with blank caps. Definitely gonna try to mod this to support at least two real layers per keyboard side.
I was curious about the history of these fancy custom split mechanical keyboards.
If I understand correctly.. the ergodox was the first popular open source keyboard (or maybe the first split one).
But it was the Helix keyboard, and then the Corne which built upon that design, which lead to an explosion in popularity of these split keyboards for makers. Both of these were designed in Japan.
In terms of design it reminds me of that bit of Animusic's "Pipe Dream" where xylophone bars of the appropriate pitch travel on a rail just in time to be struck by ball bearings from a stationary launcher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmoUSSVSV7I&t=2m12s