The beer can keyboard – we’ll drink to that

Arduino board and Raspberry Pi computer allow 44 cans of Czech beer to become an input device

It might not be as portable or ergonomic as the average keyboard, but we’re betting this promotional gizmo tastes a hell of a lot better.

Created by a team of engineers at Bucharest’s Webstock show, it features 44 (full) cans of beer arranged in standard QWERTY alignment, hooked up to an Arduino controller board and the super-affordableRaspberry Picomputer. Attendees could use it to type in their email address to enter a competition run by Prague-based brewer Staropramen (who also provided the beer cans).

The keyboard won’t be on sale any time soon, so if you want one you’ll have to invest in an Arduino, a Raspberry Pi and a couple of crates of lager from your local offie. Just don’t be tempted to celebrate finishing your building project by drinking the space bar, OK?

[viaMobileNApps]

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Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. 

Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge.

Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones.

He’s also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.

Computing, mobile, audio, smart home