We like big keyboards and we cannot lie, and we’ve seen some pretty big keyboards over the years. But this one — this one is probably the biggest working board that anyone has ever seen. [RKade] and [Kristine] set out to make the world’s largest keyboard by Guinness standards – and at 16 feet long, you would think they would be a shoe-in for the world record. More on that later.
As you might have figured out, what’s happening here is that each giant key actuates what we hope is a Cherry-brand lever switch that is wired to the pads of a normal-sized keyboard PCB. Once they designed the layout, they determined that there were absolutely no existing commercial containers that, when inverted, would fit the desired dimensions, so they figured out that it would take 350 pieces of cardboard to make 70 5-sided keycaps and got to work.
Aside from the general awesomeness of this thing, we really like the custom buttons, which are mostly made of PVC components, 3D printed parts, and a bungee cord for the return spring.
[RKade] encountered a few problems with the frame build — mostly warped boards and shrunken holes where each of the 70 keys mount. After the thing was all wired up (cleverly, we might add, with Ethernet cable pairs), [RKade] rebuilt the entire frame out of three-layers of particle board.
By the way, Guinness rejected the application, citing that it must be an exact replica of an existing keyboard, and it must be built to commercial/professional standards. They also contradict themselves, returning no search results for biggest keyboard, but offer upon starting a world record application that there is a record-holding keyboard on file after all, and it is 8 ft (2.4 m) long. It’s not the concrete Russian keyboard, which is non-functional, but we wonder if it might be the Razer from CES 2018 that uses Kailh Big Switches.
Once the keyboard was up and running, [RKade] and [Kristine] duke it out over a game of Typing Attack, where the loser has to type all the lyrics to “Never Gonna Give You Up” on the giant keyboard. Check it out after the break.
Via KBD #92
I wonder what was the scale of the keyboard that was at The Computer Museum in Boston, back when it still existed.
Oh man, I remember that one. It’s a pity that only a very limited number of the keys were actual, moveable keys, if I remember rightly. The left-side IBM-style F1-F8 keys, maybe?
Finally I can understand why my cat does it
Pff. Guinness records. They only accept your entry if you bring a load of cash. Complete bogus.
I think they should just reword the application to allow a keyboard that isn’t specifically to scale, and start their own world record category.
From what I’ve heard, you have to have 3 competing entry’s to establish the record, but with all the keyboards in the world that would fit their description, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Now to produce a movie with Tom Hanks stepping on the keys.
“small” ?
Cardboard Keycaps. Sounds like a nerd version of a band name.
The 2×4 frame might have been okay if they’d added cross members to straighten out the warp.
The space bar was missing the lever that pulls both sides down evenly.
No numpad? How am I supposed to play nethack?
with hjkl like the gods intended.
Feels like the microswitch should be mounted 30-50% of the way down the keys travel, it might even provide a minor tactile bump so the giant actually enjoys their typing experience. More importantly it means the key will trigger at the right sort of scale point in the key travel…
Can’t enter it in to the Guinness book of records because it’s not a big keyboard, it’s a mini keyboard.
Must be a mini keyboard, at there are no function keys, number keypad and the Break key has broken off!
Shoo in
Just a bit larger and we’ll finally be able to play Dance Dance Mavis Beacon!
B^)
Ha! ..Now try to hit Ctrl+Alt+Del by mistake!