Luminae glass keyboard glows with LEDs (pictures)

What was once vaporware is now a physical product you can see and touch at CES, though the software is still getting polished up.

Amanda Kooser

Jan. 9, 2013 4:52 p.m. PT

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Luminae 'keys' can be customized

The Luminae keyboard from TransluSense was once a conceptual Kickstarter project. A year of development work has brought it to CES 2013 for display.

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Luminae is a real looker

Give your desk a science fiction look with a see-through glass keyboard. The Luminae design was inspired by countless sci-fi movies featuring computers with clear interfaces.

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Glowing glass keyboard

The Luminae keyboard's visible LEDs give it millions of potential color options, or you can have it change colors as it glows.

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Glass trackpad is an option

TransluSense is also releasing a glass trackpad. It will be available for $250 and can be customized just like the keyboard.

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Keyboard camera seen through the glass

The $500 Luminae keyboard works thanks to "frustrated total internal reflection." In other words, cameras underneath the curved glass pick up on when your fingertips interrupt the light patterns in the keyboard.

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Luminae creator Jason Giddings

The Luminae started life as a vaporware Kickstarter project that tripled its funding by the time it closed in January 2012. A year later, creator Jason Giddings holds an actual keyboard on display at CES 2013.

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Three cameras track fingertips

Each Luminae keyboard has three cameras that sit below the glass, looking up. The curved see-through design gives it a futuristic look. The keyboard overlay is completely customizable and can be removed and replaced when desired. Luminae expects to be shipping to customers in about three months, giving the developers time to work out some kinks in the software.