TouchFire is the latest in new gadgets, an iPad attachment that will make typing on the iPad feel like a true physical QWERTY keyboard. It fits over the top of the landscape keyboard on either the iPad or the iPad 2, and allows your typing to fly with speeds you’d only get from a traditional keyboard.
The TouchFire is made of a flexible silicone that has a number of micro-structures inserted. What these do is allow you to rest your fingers on the screen without the worry of accidentally pushing a key. When you push a key intentionally, you get the feeling that you are typing on a real keyboard.
TouchFire was one of the most challenging design problems Brad has ever tackled. On one hand, TouchFire had to be thin, light and flexible enough to live in the iPad’s cover. On the other hand, TouchFire’s keys had to provide the proper force resistance to allow people to rest their fingers and type naturally. Brad figured out how to do this by inserting a series of micro-structures inside each key. You can’t feel these micro-structures, but they contain carefully designed walls that provide the proper force resistance no matter how your finger strikes a key.
The team behind TouchFire are looking to raise $10,000 on Kickstarter to get the project up and running. You can see the full pricing details and a video over on the Kickstarter site.
