I've been experimenting with something that I thought this community might find interesting: how much does the physical shape of a keyboard actually change the way our fingers and wrists move?
It started as a visual simulator comparing alternative keyboard layouts (QWERTY, Colemak-DH, Workman, Graphite, Gallium, etc.), but I quickly realized that comparing letter positions alone misses a pretty important part of the equation: **keyboard geometry and the anatomy of the person typing on it.**
So I've expanded the project into three connected experiments:
**1. Keyboard geometry - 15 different physical arrangements**
From traditional ANSI/ISO to Alice, Arisu, ortholinear, split column-staggered, Dactyl Manuform, concave keywells, splayed columns, and other ergonomic designs.
Each geometry has its own key positions, spacing, and finger assignments.
https://thetypingcat.com/lab/keyboard-geometry
**2. Hand anatomy - a configurable biomechanical model**
This was probably the most interesting (and challenging) part.
You can adjust hand size, individual finger bone lengths, joint movement ranges, finger spread, wrist rotation limits, and even how much effort different fingers should contribute to the calculation.
The simulator estimates which keys can be reached by finger movement alone, which require wrist rotation, and which require moving the whole hand.
https://thetypingcat.com/lab/hand-anatomy
**3. Layout comparison - animated typing simulation**
The original experiment compares alternative letter layouts, animates finger and wrist movements, and calculates estimated travel, same-finger transitions, hand alternation, and other metrics.
It now works together with the keyboard geometry and hand anatomy settings.
https://thetypingcat.com/lab/compare-layouts
One thing I've learned is that even relatively small changes to the assumptions about finger reach can significantly change the estimated wrist movement.
Of course, **this is still a geometric simulation, not a validated ergonomics study.** Some of the more unusual keyboard geometries are approximations, and physical travel alone doesn't tell us everything about comfort, strain, or typing performance.
I'm particularly curious about three things:
- Does the model's finger reach and wrist movement look realistic compared with your experience on split or column-staggered keyboards?
- What important anatomical or ergonomic factors am I still missing?
- Which keyboard geometry would you most like to see modeled more accurately?
I'm building this as part of The Typing Cat, and I'd genuinely appreciate criticism from people who have spent much more time experimenting with ergonomic keyboards than I have.
Especially those of you designing your own boards - **what would make a simulation like this actually useful to you?**
