I designed and built a super-ergonomic trackball-enabled Dactyl Manuform with a crazy mouse level shift mechanism (w/ complete build guide)

This page summarizes the projects mentioned and recommended in the original post on /r/ErgoMechKeyboards

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  • trackswitch-manuform

    A Hyper-Ergonomic Dactyl Manuform with a Clickable Trackball

  • Github Repo

  • compactyl

  • This keyboard is an attempt to make a best-of-both-worlds combination between the modular (and support-saving) design of dereknheiley's compactyl manuform (with adjustable wrist rest mounts) and the trackball-enabled design of the noahprince22's tracktyl manuform, forking the firmware from Schievel1's dactyl_manuform_r_track.

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  • tractyl-manuform-keyboard

  • This keyboard is an attempt to make a best-of-both-worlds combination between the modular (and support-saving) design of dereknheiley's compactyl manuform (with adjustable wrist rest mounts) and the trackball-enabled design of the noahprince22's tracktyl manuform, forking the firmware from Schievel1's dactyl_manuform_r_track.

  • dactyl_manuform_r_track

    Dactyl Manuform with a Trackball in the right thumb cluster

  • This keyboard is an attempt to make a best-of-both-worlds combination between the modular (and support-saving) design of dereknheiley's compactyl manuform (with adjustable wrist rest mounts) and the trackball-enabled design of the noahprince22's tracktyl manuform, forking the firmware from Schievel1's dactyl_manuform_r_track.

  • lalboard

    A 3D-printed keyboard inspired by the DataHand

  • It also incorporates some novel features: * Drawing inspiration from the vertical actuations of JesusFreke's lalboard, the keys above and below the home row are positioned such that actuating them involves the continuation of a single motion (i.e. extending or curling the fingers) rather than two separate motions (extending then pressing down or curling then pressing down, as is the case with a conventional flat keyboard layout). Less muscle memory + shorter travel distance = quicker and more comfortable typing! * I've yeeted keys that I find exceed a certain (low) threshold of difficulty to press on a standard ortholinear layout. These include the (QWERTY) n and b keys, as well as all the keys outwards from the pinky column. * To make up for this lack of keys, the left side of this keyboard features a powerful thumb cluster with five keys (four of which are vertically actuated: one by the base of the thumb (actuated by curling the thumb inwards), two by the tip of the thumb (actuated by extending the thumb upwards), and another by the thumb knuckle (actuated by moving the thumb outwards)) that allow for fast level-shifting. * The right side incorporates a trackball mount with a mechanism (consisting of a switch mounted underneath the trackball) that allows the trackball itself to act as a "switch" that can be pressed down to both enable mouse movement and activate the mouse button layer. This means that you don't have to press any buttons to enter the mouse layer before using the trackball -- the action of pressing down the trackball (and thus activating the trackswitch) shifts into the mouse layer. I refer to this collective assembly as the "trackswitch". * Both the trackswitch and trackball sensor have fully parameterized mounts with mounting mechanisms that allow their distance from the trackball to be micro-adjustable. * Fully parameterized case mounts for the arduino micro and pro-micro MCUs.

  • chair-mounted-mini-tables

    Small chair-mounted tables to use with split keyboards

  • Coupling this keyboard with a pair of chair-mounted mini-tables makes for an extremely ergonomic setup, with typing comfort the likes of which you have probably never experienced before:

NOTE: The number of mentions on this list indicates mentions on common posts plus user suggested alternatives. Hence, a higher number means a more popular project.

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