LEGO is a bit like smartphones. what it can do (or in this case, build) is limited to one’s imagination and LEGO aficionado Jason Allemann just went out to prove this point; he has created a working LEGO computer keyboard, well, albeit having a rather ancient PS/2 connector membrane keyboard as the base, but it is fantastically awesome in our books, nonetheless. the innards is obviously inherited from the generic keyboard, while the rest was made up of clever mix of LEGO and Technic parts. in order to align the keys precisely over the membrane, Allemann uses a grid of Technic connectors and axles which allows precise alignment of the keys “floating” above the corresponding membrane. the “bounce” or the returning of the keys is achieved naturally by the virtue of the ‘rubbery’ property of the membrane.
while the Technic seems like a clever move, the biggest challenge was hunting down the right printed tiles that made up a keyboard. fortunately, LEGO has over the years released the main characters, numerals and some special symbols which were fitted to the keyboard, while a little creativity and imagination had to be used to fill up the rest of the keys such as the CAP LOCK, which in this case, is being represented by a cute little cap. oh and it has full-fledge working indicator lights too. pretty rad, don’t you think? just like the case with any LEGO build, the keys are easily removable and can be replaced as and when LEGO releases newer printed tiles that are more ‘appropriate’ to the functions.
naturally, the keyboard is not as sturdy as the stock form, but works as it should with a wee bit of flex on the part of the Technic frame when in use. otherwise, it will work just fine. we love the partial surround made up of orange bricks, which kind of breaks the monotony of black and goes pretty well with the mixture of printed tiles. check out a introduction of the LEGO Computer Keyboard by the man himself in embedded video after the break.
JK Brickworks via Geek
