Rotary phones, once a staple in the typical mid-century living room, were largely relegated to dusty basements and landfills following the introduction of the push-button touch-tone phone. But researchers at Google Japan have rewound the clock and imagined a world where the iconic spinning dial lived on, eventually evolving into a full-fledged mechanical keyboard. Theyāve dubbed their whimsical, but utterly impractical, design the āGboard Dial Version.ā
The keyboard features a set of nine variously shaped dials, each corresponding to different functions like letters, numbers, and punctuation. A single, massive return key sits at the center of the device. To make a selection, users insert a finger into one of the dial holes and rotate it to their desired ākey.ā Once released, the dial zips back to its starting position. This process is then repeatedāagain and again.
Itās not exactly a form factor optimized for speed.
Engineers involved in the project say the movement produces a tactile, mechanical response and a āgentle whirring soundā in lieu of click-clacking keys. On a technical level, the keyboard functions by translating each rotation angle into a USB signal. The keyboard also comes with a pairable mouse that automatically shuts off the userās webcam when itās placed on an accompanying dock. Thatās a clear homage to the long-forgotten manual process of ending a call by āhanging upā the rotary phone.
Practicality isnāt the point
The rotary design is the latest in a string of bizarre, out-of-left-field keyboard designs Google Japan has released, mostly for fun. (Past versions include a cylindrical keyboard in the shape of a Japanese tea cup and a giant 65-inch keyboard with the QWERTY laid out in one long strip.) Anyone looking to purchase the rotary model though is out of luck. It isnāt for sale. Google Japan did upload the design files so someone with a working 3D printer and some patience can make one for themselves.
And while the Gboard might not sound all that practical, it may have another, more therapeutic effect.
āI used to slam the keys sometimes when I got frustrated,ā one of the Google researchers said in a video. āBut since I switched to this keyboard people say Iāve smoothed out my rough edges.ā
