KEMELEONDiscover the project ↗
PROTOTYPE DESIGN · THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE KEYBOARD

Every key.
Any possibility.

A keyboard that changes with you. Full-colour projection.
Two surfaces per key. A whole new way to express yourself.

PRODUCT DESIGNOPTICAL KEYBOARD CONCEPTPROTOTYPE DESIGN
MEET YOUR NEXT KEYBOARD
PROTOTYPE DESIGN · DESIGN VISUALISATION
StoryTechnologyFinishesDevelopmentFAQA NEW KIND OF KEYBOARD ↗
01 / THE BIG IDEA

Your keyboard.
With nothing
set in stone.

Your screen changes with every task.
Why shouldn’t your keyboard?

KEMELEON reimagines the familiar keyboard as a living visual surface. The concept uses an internal laser-based projection system to place colour images on the keytops and useful legends on the angled key fronts, in real time.

Imagine a workspace that speaks your language. Creative shortcuts that are there when you need them. Or a little colour that makes your setup feel entirely your own.

Look beneath the surface ↗
01 — LIGHT, NOT INK
Aa↔あ

Legends that can change.

Projected characters are designed to replace printed legends, so there’s no printed lettering to rub away.

02 — LESS TO WEAR
⌁

Beyond mechanical switches.

A switch-free sensing architecture is the goal: fewer mechanical wear points, with key feel and durability still to be validated.

03 — ROOM TO CREATE
10h

Made for a full session.

A 10-hour internal-battery target aims to keep you creating. Actual runtime will depend on brightness, use and final hardware.

NOT JUST BACKLIT. REIMAGINED.

A little cinema.
On every key.

Designed to stay in focus through every keypress.
Colour above. Familiar legends in front.

No OLED panels in the keys to burn in or break.The projection design removes individual key displays. Keycaps and the internal optical system still require durability testing.
ANIMATED CONCEPT · NOT A HARDWARE DEMONSTRATION
Rendered close-up of video imagery projected onto keyboard keytops103 keys. A canvas for new possibilities.
THE THINKING INSIDE

One idea.
Two points of view.

01

Light from within

An internal projection concept routes imagery towards translucent key surfaces.

02

A top that transforms

Keytops become a place for changing characters, colour, icons and moving images.

03

A front that stays useful

Angled fronts offer a second place for readable labels while the top displays richer content.

These prototype visuals use optical simulation and rendering approximations. Projection clarity, sensing, thermal performance and power use require physical prototyping.

103 KEYS. A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES.

Every key.
A different story.

Individual moving images on the keytops.
Familiar legends on the fronts.

PROTOTYPE DESIGN · ANIMATED VISUALISATION
WHY PROJECT THE IMAGE?

Light on the keys.
Less inside them.

The ambition: consistent focus through key travel,
fewer display components and a more accessible cost.

↕

Key down. Image still in focus.

The optical design aims to keep imagery sharp across the full keypress, without refocusing as a key moves. This is a prototype design goal; it has not yet been verified on physical hardware.

Architecture comparison — design intentions, not measured product results
What mattersIndividual OLED key displaysKEMELEON projection concept
Display ageingOLED displays can develop image persistence or burn-in with extended use.*No OLED panel in each key, avoiding that particular panel-ageing mechanism.
Damage & repairA display in a key adds an electronic component that can be damaged or require replacement.Places the image source inside the enclosure. Keycaps and the projection system can still wear or be damaged.
Component costIndividual displays and their connections contribute to the component and assembly cost.A shared optical system aims to lower cost. Actual savings depend on final engineering and manufacturing.
Focus during travelThe display moves with its key and does not need a projection focus path.Designed to maintain focus throughout key travel; physical validation is still required.

* General OLED behaviour: Apple’s explanation of OLED image persistence and burn-in ↗. This is not a test of a specific competing keyboard. Relative lifetime, image quality and cost have not been measured.

02 / MAKE IT YOURS

Different moods.
Same bright idea.

A rounded enclosure. A continuous light line.
Five finish options. Three projected typeface explorations.

Pearl white keyboard case with sans-serif brand typography
01 / PEARLPROTOTYPE FINISH STUDY

Pearl shell · clean sans-serif brand · warm orange perimeter

A PERSONALITY IN EVERY CHARACTER

Find your type.

Explore three rendered projected typefaces on the keys themselves. Final customisation remains a design ambition.

Keyboard detail rendered with modern sans-serif projected letters
Modern · clean sans-serif projected legends
YOUR APPS. YOUR SHORTCUTS. YOUR STYLE.

Make every key
feel like yours.

Imagine a keyboard that reflects the way you work, create and play. Give your most-used apps a familiar face, and put the right shortcut exactly where you want it.

01

Recognise it. Reach for it.

App icons on the keytops could turn a row of keys into a personal launchpad for music, messaging, documents and creative tools.

02

A layout for every workflow.

Explore personalised profiles for editing, coding or gaming, with colours and shortcut labels tailored to each task.

03

Change the look, keep your bearings.

Choose your letterforms, imagery and colour palette while familiar front-facing legends help you find your way.

Customisation and app profiles are proposed features of this prototype design. Icons illustrate possible layouts, not working integrations or endorsements.

Prototype keyboard render with familiar app icons including YouTube, Spotify, Mail, Word and Photoshop projected on the keytopsYour everyday apps. A new place to make them your own.
Keyboard prototype with the colour KEMELEON logo on the black Iconic modifier key, white letters on top and app icons on the key frontsFind the logo. Hold Iconic. Press an app key.
ONE KEY. YOUR EVERYDAY APPS.

Hold Iconic.
Open possibilities.

Meet the black Iconic key, marked with the KEMELEON logo. It’s your proposed shortcut to the apps you use every day.

01

Hold the logo key.

Hold down Iconic to access your personal app-launch layer.

02

Press the app you want.

While holding Iconic, press a key with your chosen app icon to launch that app. Assign your favourite apps to the keys that suit you.

03

Release and keep typing.

Release Iconic to return to normal typing. Letters stay on the keytops; app icons on the fronts keep your shortcuts in sight.

Proposed prototype interaction. This visualisation demonstrates the intended layout, not working app-launch software. App icons do not imply endorsement.

03 / BUILDING IN THE OPEN

A bold concept.
A considered journey.

Good ideas deserve careful engineering.
Here’s the path from pixels to a physical product.

What to know before launch ↗
  1. 01
    CURRENT STAGE

    Concept & visual exploration

    Exploring the enclosure, projected surfaces, layouts and visual experience through design visualisation.

  2. 02
    PLANNED

    Optical & sensing prototype

    Test the projection path, image clarity, key sensing, power draw and heat.

  3. 03
    PLANNED

    Engineering & validation

    Refine the feel. Test reliability and battery life. Work towards a manufacturable design.

  4. 04
    WHEN READY

    Campaign launch

    Share demonstrated performance, pricing, rewards and an informed delivery plan.

THE DETAILS MATTER

A few things you might ask.

Is this a finished product?

Not yet. KEMELEON is a prototype design in development. Images and films on this page are design visualisations, rather than footage of working hardware. There is no live crowdfunding campaign or checkout on this page.

Will the keys really never wear out?

No physical product can promise never to wear out or break. The design aims to remove mechanical switches and printed legends, reducing those sources of wear. Other components and moving parts still require durability testing.

Does the image stay in focus when a key moves?

That is a central design goal: keep the image in focus throughout the full key travel without refocusing. The animation illustrates the intended experience; a physical optical prototype must verify it.

How long will the battery last?

Ten hours is the design target for the internal battery, not a measured result. Real-world runtime will depend on the final optical system, brightness settings and usage.

Can every key show a different image?

The concept animations explore independently changing imagery across all 103 keytops, with familiar legends on the fronts. The capability and clarity of a physical laser-projection implementation remain to be validated.

When can I back it, and what will it cost?

Launch timing, prices, reward tiers and shipping plans have not been announced. This page is a campaign preview and does not collect pledges or personal information.

LET’S RETHINK WHAT A KEY CAN BE.

The future is
at your fingertips.

Take another look ↑

KEMELEON · A next-generation keyboard concept

KEMELEON concept video

Prototype design visualisation. Movie imagery is demonstration content; clear source-media rights before public release.