What’s the 1.65‑Meter Gboard Bar? Inside Google’s Stretch‑Keyboard Experiment

Gboard is Google’s virtual keyboard for Android and iOS that integrates many Google services, allowing users to search GIFs, emojis, perform Google Search, translate, and access Maps directly from the keyboard.

In previous years Google released several whimsical April‑Fool’s Gboard projects, such as a handwriting keyboard and a “spoon” keyboard, showcasing the engineers’ creativity.

Recently Google Japan unveiled a serious yet playful concept called Gboard Bar. The keyboard is a single‑row, 1.65‑meter‑long device with keys A to Z (including function and arrow keys) arranged in alphabetical order.

Google notes that using the keyboard naturally stretches the user’s arms, and pressing the far‑left and far‑right keys can even stretch the legs, turning the experience into a piano‑like duet.

The keyboard will not be mass‑produced, but Google has open‑sourced all related files—including design documents, schematics, and firmware—on GitHub (https://github.com/google/mozc-devices), inviting enthusiasts to experiment.

An official YouTube video demonstrates various “clever uses” of Gboard Bar, such as pair programming, acting as a wall‑switch controller, measuring height, or serving as a hiking pole.

The official landing page for Gboard Bar is https://landing.google.co.jp/________________/.