Recently, I've been considering building something that would need a small thumb keyboard. I did consider modifying one of those mini bluetooth keyboards or a gaming chatpad but I couldn't find one that met my requirements, so I've decided to build one from scratch.

The requirements that I set myself are:

• Physical keys with tactile feedback (so touchscreens are out)
• Changing the layout and function of keys should be easy (as I will be experimenting with both)
• Should not require a custom PCB (although one could be used once a layout is chosen)

As you can see from the project picture, I've got as far as building a first prototype. I'll be talking about that more in another log soon.

My aim is to produce a flexible design and release the details in the hope that they will be useful to others.