Streamline Your Work Efficiency With Rimu HID Keyboard

In our daily lives, the keyboard is an indispensable tool. Most users position their left hand on the keyboard while using their right hand for the mouse. However, different software applications, particularly powerful programs like Photoshop and KiCad, often employ diverse and extensive shortcut key combinations. These shortcuts frequently span the entire keyboard, making some challenging to execute with a single hand. Furthermore, the left hand may struggle to accurately locate and press specific keys, often necessitating the use of both hands, which can be quite inconvenient.

For the issues mentioned above, there are already some professional and mature solutions on the market, such as products from 3Dconnexion. Their products are ergonomically designed but come at a higher price. For example, the SpaceMouse is listed on its official website for $399. In contrast, the HID keyboard function of Rimu comes as an accessory to the host and planned selling price is priced $110. Its compact form factor allows for easy placement above the left-hand side of the keyboard, enabling quick screen interaction.If you are not a heavy user of keyboard devices, Rimu can fully meet your needs.

Rimu utilizes the ESP32-S3 as its main controller, enabling HID keyboard functionality. We have consolidated shortcuts that typically require both hands onto a 4.3-inch touchscreen, allowing for single-handed operation. Users can customize specific shortcuts according to their needs. Currently, Rimu comes preloaded with six apps tailored for KiCad, Photoshop, Bulk Entry, CNC, YouTube, and VLC.

Our hardware engineers often find themselves with their left hand on the keyboard and their right hand on the mouse while designing PCBs in KiCad. However, when a shortcut requires more key presses than their left hand can handle, they have to let go of the mouse to complete the operation. For example:

Shortcuts in the PCB environment:

1. Recalculate path: Ctrl + X
2. End wire drawing: Esc or End
3. Component lock/unlock: L (to lock/unlock)
4. Delete: Delete or Backspace

Shortcuts in the schematic environment:

1. Add power symbol: P (then select the power type)
2. Add net label: L
3. Repeat last item: Ins
4. Delete: Delete or Backspace

Our engineers have found the enhanced KiCad shortcut functionality of Rimu incredibly practical, significantly improving their workflow efficiency and delivering a smoother user experience.

Photoshop is a powerful image editing tool that offers a wide range of shortcut features. Most users operate PS with their left hand on the keyboard and their right hand on the mouse. However, after discussing with our friends who frequently use PS, we discovered that some shortcut operations are not very convenient and often require both hands to complete. For example:

1. Move the selected layer to the top: Ctrl + Shift + ]
2. Move the selected layer to the bottom: Ctrl + Shift + [
3. Create a new layer via selection: Ctrl + Shift + N
4. Invert selection: Shift + Ctrl + I
5. Move layer up: Ctrl + ]
6. Move layer down: Ctrl + [
7. Create a new layer: Ctrl + J
8. Fill color: Alt + Delete

After providing our friends with a sample of Rimu’s optimized PS shortcuts, we received overwhelmingly positive feedback. He shared that these improved shortcut designs significantly enhanced his efficiency and overall user experience.

For scenarios requiring frequent input of longer fixed texts or paragraphs, such as replying to messages or adding comments, Rimu’s custom text feature can significantly enhance efficiency by eliminating the need for repetitive copy-pasting.

While Rimu is capable of performing all Bad USB functions, our primary focus is on helping users improve efficiency in daily life. After the product is released, we will open-source the code and provide comprehensive tutorials, enabling enthusiasts and geeks interested in Bad USB functionalities to get started quickly.

In mass production environments, many machines rely on software controlled by mouse or keyboard. However, the compact nature of keyboards increases the risk of accidental key presses, potentially leading to safety hazards. To mitigate this risk, we implemented prominent labels on the control keys of our CNC machines.

Recognizing this need, Rimu’s program features only three intuitive buttons: start, pause, and stop. This minimalist design minimizes the risk of accidental presses, making it easy to operate even for employees with limited literacy.

To further enhance its versatility, we plan to utilize Rimu’s IO expansion module to enable physical button inputs, expanding Rimu’s applicability across a wider range of scenarios.

People rely heavily on YouTube and VLC. When watching videos , we often need to pick up the mouse or keyboard to pause, play, adjust the volume, rewind or fast forward, or switch between fullscreen and windowed modes. Which can interrupt the viewing experience.

Particularly you want to relax in bed or recline in a chair to watch videos but feel inconvenienced because you d on’t want to get up to find a mouse or keyboard, it can be quite uncomfortable. Although a wireless mouse can be used in bed, after a long day, moving the mouse back and forth while lying down is still not comfortable. At this point, Rimu’s HID function can easily solve this problem for you. Whether you’re lying in bed or resting on a couch, you don’t need to move or search for a mouse; just press a button to perform all operations, making your viewing experience smoother and more enjoyable.

Rimu is a product that embraces the concept of modular design, with each module dedicated to addressing specific issues. To foster communication and share creativity, we have established the Rimu community forum where everyone is welcome to join discussions, share ideas, and offer suggestions.

The latest updates on the project will be available in real-time on our official website . In the near future, Rimu will be showcased through the Kickstarter platform, marking our commitment to long-term support for this project. From the initial concept design to the hardware implementation, we have invested a significant amount of effort. If you are interested in learning more about our design philosophy and the features we have successfully developed, please read our first article.