- Input element: #Tetrinsic [gd0041]
- Wearable: #Tetent TimerSpy [gd0136]
- Handheld: #Tetent [gd0090]
- Handheld x86 PC: #Leti
- Archived
- Handheld for smartphones: #Tetent TwySize [gd0040]
- (Space)mouse: #Tetent Turntable [gd0038]
- Desktop: #Tetent TestCut [gd0139]
Tetent is primarily for #Teti [gd0022], and it's a good idea to think of Tetent as an input device for Teti similar to how the PS5 Dualsense Controller is the input device for the PS5. "PC Controller" seems like a suitable generic name.
Initial requirements
Even before writing all these Hackaday logs, I knew my future was going to be full of typing. What I needed was a new character input solution that satisfied most or all of the requirements:
- Easy to learn
- Research revealed that stenography and CharaChorder is slow to learn to a speed of >150wpm.
- Small enough for use with a smartphone
- So that I didn't have to learn a mini and regular layout.
- Theoretical speed ceiling of over 240wpm, ideally 320wpm
- 1 handed typing at speed (>100wpm)
- Wireless and wired connectivity
- Usable with fingernails (5mm length)
- Screens for knowing what character/command will be input
- Higher bass speaker than what is available in Teti's (EQ-tuned) portable monitors
- Ideally LED backlit.
Conceptually and theoretically, I've addressed or exceeded the requirements.
Tetent can be used single-handedly or dual-wielded. It is also ambidexterous and reversible (like USBC). It uses #Tetrinsic [gd0041] slide encoders which allows for software adjustable actuation force, haptic feedback and appearance. For the mechanical keyboard enthusiasts reading, it means the look, weight and tactile feel can be changed when desired for each finger, though I should mention that the travel distance is measured in microns.
The Tetrinsics also physically move your fingers to ease the learning process, as well as allowing for a handful of different behaviors like momentum, detents, free scroll and spring to center. Due to the stainless steel ball chain, there should be less slippage than flat, plastic keycaps, further reducing typos. Also, the finger doesn't need to be lifted at all, unlike traditional keyboards.
I only need to perform at least 1 chord per second to equal my QWERTY typing speed of 65 - 80wpm. If I can get a consistent 3 chords per second, I could be typing at up to 260wpm for a good amount of time and not the <15 second bursts I've seen on YouTube. I consider 4 chords / second as "full speed", typing in sync with 120/240bpm music, for an estimated average of 312wpm (max is 32 characters per second (384wpm), or 24 without a single space (288wpm)).
Typing method
I like to think of Tetent's default layout as the next Pokemon evolution of chording keyboards: "parallel entry". For a normal keyboard, which would be "serial entry", you'd have to make sure all fingers are perfectly timed so that the characters appear in the correct locations of the word/sentence. Failure to do this causes a few typos ("hte", "ot", "wit hthe", etc) and also makes it somewhat difficult to increase speed. For "chorded entry", pressing more than one specific set of keys results in a new character, dictionary phrase or action.
The same layout exists on each key (except Finger5). By changing the position and force of a finger, different characters are selected. So, while "eee" or "..." might have to be some custom, seemingly arbritrary chord on stenography or CharaChorder, on Tetent it'll be the same position and force on all 3 fingers.
Any gaps (eg "e" was pressed Finger2 and 4) will be merged (to produce "ee") and the same can be said about the left and right Tetents ("hom" on Tetent-L and "e" on Tetent-R will result in "home" being sent to the host device).
Note: The thumb = "Thumb1" / "Finger1" and the smallest finger is "Finger5".
Example
To write "a.keyboard.readChar()...
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Ahoy! I'm the guy of the PC form factors concept on Reddit. This is cool, and I guess a lot of people could find it cool, but it's really hard to "get" Tetent at a glance. I'd suggest you to improve your presentation, to get more attention: show pictures with the mock-up being held/used, with the mock-up next to a laptop or tablet, show moving parts by using ghost in-betweens and arrows, embed a text with some highlights of the product inside the images. In short: copy the way every seller shows their stuff on Amazon, eBay, AliExpress.
Also reading your last update about Tetent with embedded FW mobo made me wonder, would it be possible to realise 2 JoyCon-like Tetent modules that slide directly into the Framework? It would be cumbersome with a laptop, but it would pair well with something like the Cooler Master + Framework mainboard case (or my Portable Tower concept, hehe).
Finally, personal preference: I'd rather see what's about to be typed with Tetent near the place I'm typing it, on the same monitor. Do the simplest thing first though, I can see how writing/maintaining SW for all possible host machines is a hightmare!