ARTSEY
An Easy, Fast, Open One-Handed Keyboard System
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### Current Version: 0.8.1 -- Beta Version: 0.9.0 ###
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News
- 2/29/2024: Happy leap day! We have released ARTSEY ver. 0.9 candidate layout below. Early firmware files are available in the QMK Firmware Repository. Version 0.9 retains most of the combos of version 0.8.1, but a few punctuation combos which have been adjusted to make them easier to remember. Modifier behavior has also been improved to help with things like alt+tabbing through windows using “sticky” mods. We have also improved the layout diagram to make it easier to read by grouping combos by action and shape. The patterns in the combo shapes should now be easier to identify to help you more easily learn and remember the layout.
Introduction
ARTSEY is a one-handed keyboard system created by Greg Leo using 8 keys in a 2x4 layout. The system is designed to be easy to learn, comfortable to use, and fast enough for practical use.
Use
ARTSEY is a system for people of all abilities. The standard system can be fully operated by four fingers over a small range of motion. There are layouts for both left- and right-handed use. Almost any computer activity that can be done with a normal keyboard can also be achieved with ARTSEY. In fact, this website was written entirely with an ARTSEY board.
To achieve full functionality, combos are used for many of the letters, symbols, modifiers, and other commands available on a normal keyboard. While these combos might be intimidating at first, the basics of ARTSEY can be learned in under an hour. Many new ARTSEY users are able to operate their computers without referencing the layout diagram within the first few days of use. Typing speeds over 50wpm are possible with dedicated practice.
Learn more about the design of the system.
Layout Diagram
Click to Enlarge
Beta: 0.9.0
Current: 0.8.1
Hardware
Since only four fingers are used, the thumb is free to stabilize and hold the board. This simplifies the hardware design for portable hand-held keyboards made for ARTSEY. These boards can be made as small as a credit card using standard mechanical keyboard switches. ARTSEY can also be implemented on existing boards that support QMK or ZMK as long as they have a 2x4 cluster of keys somewhere.
Members of the community have developed several boards specifically for use with ARTSEY. Files for our open-source board Paintbrush are available on our GitHub page. The files are free of charge for non-commercial use. Since the PCB is so small, the costs of manufacturing are usually under $1/each (before shipping). Memebers of our discord often organize small non-commercial group buys of the Paintbrush and other hardware for use with ARTSEY.
Firmware
Implementations of ARTSEY are available on our github page for QMK (QMK Firmware Repository) and ZMK (ZMK Firmware Repository).
Community
For more info and to get in touch: Join our community on discord!