On October 1, 2026, Google’s Gboard team published a DIY keyboard design whose keys travel toward the typist on conveyor belts. Google says the idea is to reduce arm and hand movement when typing with one hand or one finger. The project is intended for DIY construction, and Google said it had no plans to sell the keyboard.
Google’s Gboard concept moves keys toward the typist
The design, called Gboard Conveyor Belt Version in its project repository, brings keys to the user rather than having the user reach for stationary keys. Google says each belt carries 29 keys, and that uppercase and lowercase letters can be entered directly.
Google’s stated aim is to make one-handed or one-finger typing require less movement. That is the design goal, not a measured result.
How the moving-key idea is meant to work
A typist presses the desired character as it passes. Google presents the mechanism as a way to keep one hand on the keyboard while reducing the movement needed to reach keys. The concept centers on changing where the keys move—not on a reported typing-speed or accuracy result.
What the DIY project files contain
The project repository lists STL files for 3D-printing the case and mechanisms, KiCad schematics and circuit-board layouts, and firmware source and project files. KiCad is software for designing circuit boards; firmware is the code that runs on the device.
Google said it had no plans to sell the keyboard. The project repository describes the design as not an official Google product, while offering files for DIY construction.
Other versions are still ideas
Google said it was considering color options, a high-speed mode, a longer version for more character types, and a shorter version suited to mobile devices. The announcement also explains the October 1 date: written as 10/1, it points to the 101-key keyboard format.
