Google Gboard Kurukuru: Conveyor Belt Keyboard

Google Japan is challenging traditional typing ergonomics with a new experimental peripheral that reverses standard mechanics. Developed by the Gboard team, the Gboard Kurukuru version places its keys on moving conveyor belts, allowing characters to travel toward the user rather than requiring fingers to reach across a stationary layout. This setup transforms a common desktop tool into a miniature production line.

The system relies on four continuous belts holding 29 keys each, resulting in 116 keys in total. As the belts rotate, users keep their hands relatively still and press the desired character when it arrives beneath their fingers. This mechanism allows uppercase and lowercase letters to be entered directly while making the full character set accessible with a single hand or finger.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

This design alters the conventional relationship between hand and interface by letting the interface come to the user. Google Japan suggests the setup leaves one hand free for a mouse or a cup of tea, while operating two Kurukuru keyboards simultaneously is also proposed as an option for higher productivity.