Computer peripheral and accessory maker Logitech International S.A. announced the development of an experimental keyboard on Thursday that works in virtual reality.

The Bridge developer’s kit would round out the types of peripherals usable in VR to deliver a more complete office experience. It works with the HTC Vive headset and consists of a Logitech G gaming keyboard, a connector for a Vive Tracker, so the headset can position hands and keys in VR, and the associated software development kit. The kit and software would cost $150 at retail.

The company said in its announcement blog that it would seed 50 of these kits to select developers with the goal of creating compelling new experiences that make use of the VR keyboard.

Most current offerings of VR peripherals, especially those sold to consumers, have approached controls unique to VR that provide support for gestures and moving around in virtual spaces. Controllers such as the Oculus Touch conform to the hand and translate the body into virtual reality. Using this sort of controller helps increase immersion for VR gaming or interacting with virtual objects, which represent a large amount of content developed for VR, such as games and 360-degree video.

The ability to interact with and manipulate virtual objects in real space provides a compelling and unique use for VR. But it’s not how users traditionally interact with computers. By introducing a trackable keyboard, Logitech’s Bridge puts a fundamental part of the office into virtual space.

“Whether you’re doing work or surfing the web, you sometimes need the ability to enter text,” said Guy Godin, developer of Virtual Desktop. “With Bridge, you can see your physical keyboard, your hands and type without having to take your headset off.”

VR software products such as Virtual Desktop and Bigscreen allow users to replace their office monitor with a “virtual office.” Of course, VR provides more than just the means of eschewing a monitor on the desk. It also means that workers can do away with the entire office, placing themselves in whatever environment they choose. That changes a limited, finite space into an infinite expanse that could be filled with objects to manipulate, provide context and alerts or even comfort and distraction.

Virtual keyboards for VR already exist, amid numerous other control efforts, but most office workers are already used to sitting down at a desk, looking into a screen and putting fingers on an actual keyboard.

“Virtual keyboards are great for simple interactivity, but for productivity and collaboration there’s nothing quite like the tactile feel of typing on an actual physical keyboard,” said Darshan Shankar, founder and chief executive of Bigscreen Inc. “Being able to see your keyboard in VR makes it significantly easier to type and interact with our computers.”

To better understand the business and office use of VR, Logitech brought developers from Virtual Desktop, Bigscreen, the Mozilla Foundation and AutoDesk Inc. together to discuss how having a physical keyboard in VR could transform user interaction.

Also importantly, the keyboard itself can be transmogrified by virtual reality. Outside of VR, Logitech and other companies already produce keyboards that change color, keycap symbols and even operation. In VR, the keyboard takes on a whole new life: Not only can keys change color, but so can the skin of the entire keyboard and all of its surroundings.

Once translated into VR, a keyboard could alert the user when a message comes in or change visually according to what the user is doing. For example, it could become transparent with glowing edges within a modeling program or take on the look of a basic keyboard while the user types out memos.

Even advanced typists glance at their keyboard when setting their fingers or between sessions of frantic typing as part of resetting the brain’s recollection of the visual field. The keyboard is an ever-present part of every computer user’s desk and office space. With the power of VR, the keyboard itself can become more than just an inert input device by taking advantage of a presence that’s constantly visible to the user.

The beta version of the keyboard and its SDK are currently being distributed by Logitech. Developers interested in partnering on this experimental keyboard can do so by entering an application at the company’s website. The applications will remain open until Nov. 16.

Image: Logitech