Optimus Maximus Keyboard

The Optimus Maximus keyboard is one of its kind. At first glance it looks like a standard keyboard, nothing too flashy going on, just a nice simple design with pleasing lines. But upon closer inspection you will see that each and every button on the Optimus Maximus keyboard is actually a tiny display screen that uses OLED technology.

Each button consists of a moving cap, a microchip and a display which shows the current function assigned to the key.

To help extend the lifetime of the buttons and to cut down on vulnerable wires, the OLED display is fixed in the transparent cap, this means replacing a key is as easy as it would be on a standard keyboard, perhaps with one exception…the cost.

Optimus’s customizable layout enables the use of any language — Cyrillic, Ancient Greek, Georgian, Arabic, Quenya, hiragana, etc. — as well as any other characters: notes, numerals, special symbols, HTML codes, math functions etc.

The included configurator software enables the user to program each button and the image displayed and once everything is set up, you can switch between layouts with ease.

To run the Optimus Maximus you’ll need Windows XP, Vista or Mac OSX 10.4.8 or higher, at least 20 MB of hard disk space, at least 256MB of RAM and the $400+ it costs to buy one.

The OLED technology used in the keyboard is still an expensive alternative to a standard keyboard however; OLED screens are theoretically cheaper to produce in the long-run compared to regular LCD screens.

There are also other advantages over LCD. OLED screens can be as thin as a human hair, they can produce light without the need for a back-light, the can be bent and transferred to fabric, they have a greater range of color and the image quality is equally as good.

The main disadvantage is the lifetime of the OLED is very limited, almost 10 times shorter than LCD. But, according to experts it will only be a matter of time before the technology is improved and these types of displays will be found on many devices from laptops to revolutionary new ‘multi-use newspapers’ or video screens embedded in clothing.

Check out the video to see the OLED keys in action!!!