Ah! Look at that keyboard! When the world is transitioning toward a smart future where a mechanical keyboard with a built-in LED screen will rule the roost, a designer dares to give us a cushioning of air bubbles to type on. When I think of laying my finger on this keyboard, I’m hopeful it’ll start popping up like bubble wrap and that would be overly satisfying.
Anyway, that’s nothing like what the Air Type – yes, that’s what it is called – intends to achieve. The tactile keyboard comes with inflated, bouncy keycaps that should be a satisfying experience, not for popping, but to type for long hours. Suddenly the keys on my Dell laptop are hurting my fingertips. I don’t have the leisure to order the Air Type in and continue this article, but hopefully Running Guy Studio will pull off the design to fruition in my lifetime.
Designer: Running Guy Studio
This is not the studio’s first attempt at toiling with an inflated design. They’ve tried to inflate a PlayStation controller and near perfected an Air Case for smartphones. The airtight, inflatable lining for smartphones can protect the device during falls and is super tactile and pleasing to work with. After improving and optimizing that inflatable phone case to produce a couple of worthy copies; Running Guy has found the keyboard as the third best option to try the inflation technique.
From the renders of it, the keyboard looks intriguing to type on with each individual inflatable key. The concern of bubbles popping up with each menacing thud on the keys, still looms in my mind. But hopefully, issues with usability, quality, and reliability have been addressed and we shouldn’t bother; instead, we should see this as a stepping stone for the future where like our jackets and tents, electronics will also be inflatable!
