Aimpad Kickstarter

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What if a keyboard and a gamepad had a baby? You'd end up with the Aimpad! The Aimpad was created one of your fellow [H] readers so go check it out and let's help them get this thing backed.

The concept of Aimpad™ is simple. Take the analog stick of a gamepad, and map those inputs directly to the traditional WASD key layout. Slightly press the “W” key and you move slowly. Press the key down more and you walk. Press it down more and you run. Smoothly sneak, peek around corners, drive a vehicle, move in more than eight directions, and more, all while using precision aiming with the mouse. It is like playing with a gamepad that you can aim with.
 
Something about smelly neckbeard basement mofos PC gamers and the e-peen keyboard and mouse status.

I agree with this. The mouse and keyboard are terrible for many game types. Wonderful for others, but terrible for anything with vehicles.
 
Oh shoot! :eek: here is one of em ^ :D

HA!

I don't play many games. Not that I don't want too...can't afford to. The current computer I have...well...I swear that my cellphone has more horsepower then it does. To give you an idea of how bad it is...

I played Fallout New Vegas at 640x480 with everything turned ALL THE WAY down and still only manage to top out at around 40FPS...but I played that bitch all the way till the end I did.

Somebody...have pity on me and send me a decent gaming PC... :)
 
This will live or die by software support.

tradicitional FPS games on the PC will be hard pressed to take advantage of this considering they aren't setup for analog WASD keys.

and racing games are much butter on a gamepad then an analog controller of this type.


its a great concept, don't get me wrong.. but i'm not sure where its really trying to end up as far as a controller goes.

one of the few games i can think of that it may work well is splinter cell (or other controller based 3rd person action games).. the analog controls may work well in that situation where movement speed is a part of the game-play
 
It is pretty surreal to see my silly mug on HardOCP. Thank you very much for posting it on the front page! While I have not posted to HardOCP in a very long time, I read the news and comments pretty much every day.

Thank you Dephcon for the support! If anyone has specific questions or you just want to discuss the tech and what it can do please let me know and I'll keep an eye on the thread.

As for why? Because using a gamepad is great for broad movements but precise aiming is less than spectacular. A mouse has awesome aiming... but not the most practical for providing just movement. Using a keyboard gives me a bajillion keys to configure to do whatever I want. A gamepad gives me.. not enough. Combine all the good parts of all three controls and you have Aimpad.

If at the end of the day, if through my efforts every gaming keyboard on the market has analog functionality built into the keyboard, then I've done what I wanted to do. But, it's not going to happen unless we demonstrate that people actually want it.

Any questions, fire away! Thanks again!
 
Personally, if the technology was integrated into a proper keyboard I'd be interested, but not as another dedicated device.
 
I have probably heard/read this about 50 times. So, I'm getting a very clear message of what people want. The cost of a full keyboard of mechanical switches is really expensive. In the volumes that we are looking at Cherry MX swtiches will cost .50 each. For 100+ keys that would be 50 bucks just for the switches sitting on the board. This is roughly 35 bucks more than the stand alone device we are currently running with. That doesn't take into account the cost of a much larger circuit board, a much bigger enclosure, and additional plastic moldings which are around $10,000 - $15,000 each. I'm being completely open and honest here so I hope you can do the same. If we offered a full blown keyboard for $199 with 8 keys that are analog capable would it be "worth" it to you? Just trying to get a feel if this is ridiculous or reasonable.
 
I have probably heard/read this about 50 times. So, I'm getting a very clear message of what people want. The cost of a full keyboard of mechanical switches is really expensive. In the volumes that we are looking at Cherry MX swtiches will cost .50 each. For 100+ keys that would be 50 bucks just for the switches sitting on the board. This is roughly 35 bucks more than the stand alone device we are currently running with. That doesn't take into account the cost of a much larger circuit board, a much bigger enclosure, and additional plastic moldings which are around $10,000 - $15,000 each. I'm being completely open and honest here so I hope you can do the same. If we offered a full blown keyboard for $199 with 8 keys that are analog capable would it be "worth" it to you? Just trying to get a feel if this is ridiculous or reasonable.

It's tough to say how this would turn out as within the gaming keyboard niche there are a lot of other preferences like backlighting, no numpad, etc.. that could be deal breakers for some people. Also how does actual typing on an analog key feel when mixed with regular keys?
 
I have probably heard/read this about 50 times. So, I'm getting a very clear message of what people want. The cost of a full keyboard of mechanical switches is really expensive. In the volumes that we are looking at Cherry MX swtiches will cost .50 each. For 100+ keys that would be 50 bucks just for the switches sitting on the board. This is roughly 35 bucks more than the stand alone device we are currently running with. That doesn't take into account the cost of a much larger circuit board, a much bigger enclosure, and additional plastic moldings which are around $10,000 - $15,000 each. I'm being completely open and honest here so I hope you can do the same. If we offered a full blown keyboard for $199 with 8 keys that are analog capable would it be "worth" it to you? Just trying to get a feel if this is ridiculous or reasonable.

Seems like a good idea to me. I don't need all 101 some keys to be analog. Even just the standard movement keys would work for me.
 
It's tough to say how this would turn out as within the gaming keyboard niche there are a lot of other preferences like backlighting, no numpad, etc.. that could be deal breakers for some people. Also how does actual typing on an analog key feel when mixed with regular keys?

I agree, all of that comes into play. Back lighting is planned for a "stretch" goal because it is pretty standard and expected.

In terms of what it feels like typing on an analog key is one of the reasons why I held back on offering a full keyboard solution. In terms of analog functionality using mechanical switches Cherry MX Black or Cherry MX Red are really the only viable options because they are linear swtiches (they have no audible or tactile "bump" or "clack" when you press the key). Using something like a Cherry MX Blue there is a HUGE clack that prevents you from activating the key unless you really want to press it. This means there would be a HUGE jarring effect integrating this technology with a Cherry MX Blue switch and would defeat the point of having smooth analog movement. However, lots of people love Cherry MX Blue keyboards to TYPE with. So, I figured it made sense to just have them keep using their preferred mechanical switch type and just focus on the part that is meaningful for most games.

That being said, typing on a full Cherry MX Black keyboard is perfectly fine. It is actually what I use full time for typing. It doesn't have the satisfying "clunk" during the key press that many touch typist prefer, but I can type very quick and reliably on it. So what I would have in mind is a full Cherry MX Black keyboard and have 8 or so keys designated to have analog functionality. So, typing on it would be the exact same across all the keys rather than trying to make some analog keys Black switches and the rest Blue for example. But those that don't want to type on a full MX black keyboard would be turned off by this.
 
Ben Heck did this in an episode a few seasons ago. He used a Heliflux Sensor though.
 
It looks like a less sophisticated version of the Logitech G13, but without the handrest. I would be hitting extra keys on this thing all the time. That's the reason I don't use my keyboard for gaming. I don't like it. It need a hand rest like the Nostromo.
 
Speaking of which .. I have a G13 gamepad, which I like to use. It has a joystick for this very function. So I don't think this is necessarily needed.

Unless their software can properly emulate the controllers. I know BF3 had issues with more than one USB joystick.
 
I have probably heard/read this about 50 times. So, I'm getting a very clear message of what people want. The cost of a full keyboard of mechanical switches is really expensive. In the volumes that we are looking at Cherry MX swtiches will cost .50 each. For 100+ keys that would be 50 bucks just for the switches sitting on the board. This is roughly 35 bucks more than the stand alone device we are currently running with. That doesn't take into account the cost of a much larger circuit board, a much bigger enclosure, and additional plastic moldings which are around $10,000 - $15,000 each. I'm being completely open and honest here so I hope you can do the same. If we offered a full blown keyboard for $199 with 8 keys that are analog capable would it be "worth" it to you? Just trying to get a feel if this is ridiculous or reasonable.

This is what I would want but to be honest no, I wouldn't pay $200 for it. I think $100 is the high end of what you could expect an average gamer to spend on a keyboard.

Sure plenty of people spend more than that on keyboards but it's already a pretty niche market. I don't see a keyboard designed for the niche of a niche market (micro niche?) doing so hot. Especially when a large bulk of that market wants a mechanical keyboard because of the "click".
 
If you found some way to make it work with clicky clacky keys though I would be in at $200 to be clear. But I definitely understand your concerns.

Would it be possible to use a decent membrane setup for the bulk of the keys and just give us 6 or so analogs? the difference between keys may be less extreme and save some cost?
 
Interesting concept with the pressure sensitive wsad keys. I love my n52 speed pad and have been using one for a long time. Not sure if I am ready to jump ship, I like the ergo feel of the n52 and this product seems to lack that.
 
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Thank you very much for the honest feedback about the full keyboard. This is very helpful!

To be clear what you are seeing today is COMPLETELY a prototype. It is no where near what the final version is going to look like. The prototype enclosure was designed by our electrical engineer to just put the keys into something that resembled a rough shape of a sort of keyboard thingy. Our mechanical engineer will be exclusively focusing on enclosure design to make the enclosure more in line with what you would expect an ergonomic gaming device to be like (similar to the n52 for example), but we'll be doing more than just making the enclosure ergonomic. Adjusting location, size, and orientation of keys is all being tuned to provide the best, most comfortable gaming experience that we can design. We have lots of ideas on what to do, but we want to float ideas to the communities of gamers to get their feedback.
 
You guys will sell some units and make some money, but I can't see this becoming anything but a very niche product.

If you use a game controller in a console game then the character movements are often erratic as well, they aren't as jerky as in a PC, but they still are far from natural. I'd like to think that most PC gamers just keep the WASD keys pressed as they move/aim with the mouse.

I wouldn't buy the product myself because I don't have any issue with kb/mouse gaming, because I wouldn't want another piece of tech cluttering my work/game area, and because I'd expect this be in mass market plastic controller price range rather than the high end CH or whatever controller range.

I simply cannot imagine that people who have no idea whether they will like this product will pay anything more than maybe $25-$40, because the resell value will be low. "Why are you selling it?" "Cause it sucks, so give me your money, you'll love it!" "Nuh-uh!"
 
*a feeble cry from the corner in a soft, parched voice...*

"...it's esdf...not wasd....home keys..."
 
Build it into a standard mechanical keyboard and it may be interesting. Make it a stupid special purpose gamepad and no one will buy it. Also half the point of mechanical keyboards is that by having NKRO they do not force you to use the inefficient WASD layout. So many of us are running with ESDF or RDFG, and still others use the number pad or arrows. So they need to build the sensors into all those keys.

The chances of them doing that are probably none so I don't think I will even bother considering it.
 
This will live or die by software support.

tradicitional FPS games on the PC will be hard pressed to take advantage of this considering they aren't setup for analog WASD keys.

Any game with controller support will work with this, the analog keys will be transmitted as controller imputs.
 
I'm kinda surprised no one has thought of this yet. I think they could save money by just making the movement keys analog like and have nearby keys standard.
 
I think it would be better to adapt a 3d motion controller (3d connexion, spaceball) for gaming.
 
If we offered a full blown keyboard for $199 with 8 keys that are analog capable would it be "worth" it to you? Just trying to get a feel if this is ridiculous or reasonable.

YES! I would buy that for $199
 
I love the idea of this, but why not just incorporate the technology into existing keyboards? Better yet, patent it, and sell it to keyboard manufacturers. This guy would make more money, quicker, and we would all have access to it, because it would be built into our keyboards. sounds like a win-win to me.
 
Have a little room to spare in that corner for a fellow ESDF user?

For the uninitiated; what's the big deal about whether it's WASD or ESDF? Seems rather inconsequential to me?

I think it would be better to adapt a 3d motion controller (3d connexion, spaceball) for gaming.

Early on in the development of the Space Navigator I was in a focus group that evaluated its usefulness and function. I hated the thing, it's great if you use it for 60 seconds at a time, but any prolonged use makes your wrist cramp up like mad because the ergonomics of it are all wrong. That was a long time ago when all they had was what's today called Space Navigator, and I just googled it and was surprised to find that both the company still exist as well as the product still being around.
 
I've used dedicated gamepads before. Typically they only make sense with a gaming laptop since all laptops have terrible keyboards. This idea makes sense everywhere to me though. I love MX blue keyboards for the typing experience, and having a small MX red analogue for gaming just makes sense to me.
So, I just pledged support.
 
Early on in the development of the Space Navigator I was in a focus group that evaluated its usefulness and function. I hated the thing, it's great if you use it for 60 seconds at a time, but any prolonged use makes your wrist cramp up like mad because the ergonomics of it are all wrong. That was a long time ago when all they had was what's today called Space Navigator, and I just googled it and was surprised to find that both the company still exist as well as the product still being around.


I use one daily for CAD work. Probably 4+ hours per day. I consider it a necessity.
 
Interesting..You know it never actually occurred to me until I watched this, that since I switched to mechanical, I lost that precision. I probably didn't notice because most of the games I play that require precision like that, I play on console. Where as PC games run/move speed are irrelevant as I do everything with the mouse.

This will certainly be something I keep an eye on.
 
For the uninitiated; what's the big deal about whether it's WASD or ESDF? Seems rather inconsequential to me?
I do not know if I would qualify it as a big deal... Regardless — having your fingers on ASDF is how you place your left hand when touch typing; this row of keys is the 'Home Row'. Touch typists will instinctively place their hand in that position. All is being done is shifting the middle finger from D to E. So in that sense it bears logic to use these keys. It is also useful since it frees a column of keys to the left (Tribes anybody?).

This project is very interesting — I have for a long time thought of and wanted analogue input on a keyboard. But I am of those who would prefer it to be implemented in a keyboard form factor and not limited to the WASD cluster. For such technology, in my opinion $150 - $200 is a reasonable price range if the quality of the final product is up to par. The problem though is the product then becomes less accessible for many people at such a price range...
 
For the uninitiated; what's the big deal about whether it's WASD or ESDF? Seems rather inconsequential to me?

PixelNinja already explained the touch typing position. 'asdf' and 'hjkl' are the "home keys" for typing. That explains why most keyboards have little notches on 'f' and 'j' so you can actually find your place on the keyboard without looking.

Another reason is [chat] bindings. I'm old. I come from a time where we played Quake without voice chat (unless you were lucky enough to have a lan-based clan). Having 'qazwx' available on the left allows for more teamchat bindings on position/flow of a team match, and puts your fingers closer to all those keys to the right, so you can hit things like 'yhnujm' without stretching much.

Still works today for most games, especially as we have more keys to do things. And particularly MMORPGs. The very first thing I do after loading into any game these days is change 'wasd' to 'esdf' and then find out what I need to rebind that was in 'e' and 'f.' I then still have tons of easy-to-reach keys for all sorts of other bindings, and movement keys I can always find without looking.

Because, playing in the dark. Naked.
 
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