Long time lurker, first post. More pics here.
My design has elements we are familiar with: columnar stagger, the Dactyl “scoop” (concave shape), and some splay (columns angled outward). But I’ve added an element I haven’t seen in any keyboard before (though I did get some hints from this community).
Try this: look at your nails with your palm facing toward you (so your fingers will be pointing down toward your wrist). Notice that the tips of your fingers form a curve like a smiley-face. 🙂 That’s the “scoop”.
Now notice the angle of your fingers - they point inward. This is what your fingers do when they are curled over the keyboard (photo). Sculpted boards I’ve seen either have none of this angle, or they follow the concave scooped shape and set it in the opposite direction.
Keen to hear your thoughts, and I’m open to name suggestions!
EDIT: Changed photo
EDIT: Don’t like how loud the hollow body sounds, going to explore a quieter body design.
It’s actually concave, in that the pinky and index are higher off the table, like in the Dactyl. It looks convex in the photo because the columns are angled outwards. The other photos might show this better. EDIT: I picked a better photo for the post to make the shape clearer.
Ah, that was a confusing perspective.
Convex in the X direction, concave in Y one, it’s a saddle shape, isn’t it?Edit. Ah no sorry it’s more subtle: there is a stairway effect. The keys face outward, but those in the middle are indeed deeper!