Ergonomic Keyboard Wish List

It's simple, really. I want a keyboard that is:

Easier to use than a standard keyboard.
Relieves or eliminates the repetitive stress that causes RepetitiveStressInjury.

Here's my unprioritized list:

Keyboard is split into two separate pieces, one for each hand. any key that could, on a normal keyboard, be typed with either finger (i.e. "b") should be on both halves.
Allows my hands to remain in a natural position
- Curled and relaxed such as when floating in water.
- Twisted slightly open from 'flat on the table' angle.
My hands rest and are well supported
- No constant pressure on the flat insides of my wrists or the "heel" of my hand. Even soft gel 'wrist-pads' bother me (though they're far better than a hard desk).
- No constant pressure on my palm.
- Feels like I'm holding a sturdy and smooth beach stone (though not as heavy).
Fingers require minimal movement, and are laid out very similar to QWERTY. (I'm thinking DataHand style here.)
- Keys are programmable and Dvorak layout is built in with a simple switch.
- If a chord system is used to minimize keys, then it is a simple chord system such as the common Ctrl-Alt-Shift system, or an simple extension of this concept.
Each part of the keyboard is its own mouse, and there are software drivers to allow two-handed manipulation of the system's GUI. (This may be technically difficult, but hey, it's a wish-list.)
- Perhaps some chord system is used to use the mouse, or perhaps separate buttons.
- Mouse is optical so that it can be used on any surface.
- The keyboard, while being used as a mouse, can be easily picked up and moved without accidental input, without damaging sensitive controls, without removing hand from mouse-grip, and without undue effort or awkward grip.
Can be integrated with a desk and/or chair so that elbows and forearms are well and comfortably supported. (Thinking KinesisEvolutionKeyboard here.)
- Armrest is cushioned like a nice upholstered chair, not rubbery or hard.
- Armrest is (if anything) concave, not convex.
  - Concavity is generously big, otherwise the cure is worse than the disease for those too big, wide, long, etc...
- Hands/fingers do not have to 'reach' up, down, left, right, or in any other direction to use the device in its intended position. Piano position is a possibility.
- Desk edge is soft and yielding, but supportive. Wood, hard plastic, and metal are out. Wrists and forearms should not need to rest on the desk anyway, so this may be moot.
- Each part of the keyboard is supported on it's own sturdy ball pivot, possibly spring-centered like a joystick, so that the right angle can be used without adjusting any knobs or other such controls.
Comes in different sizes for different people.
Has a comfortable texture. Does not get 'sweaty' or grimy. Is fairly easily cleaned.
Reasonably-priced. "Normal" keyboards cost < $10. Keep it within an order of magnitude (< $100).

Discussion about List

Why two hands? Why not just one hand?

Spread the work. Reduce complexity. Two-handed keyboards let me push one button almost directly under the fingers for each letter. One-handed keyboards have either the same number of keys (must move the hand back and forth more)(Left Handed DvorakKeyboard) or some complicated shifting/chording scheme (must press multiple buttons per letter)(HalfQwerty, The twiddler from HandyKey). That means you're doing more work per letter than a two-handed keyboard.

Let it be Quiet! The Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro doesn't have a loud "click" but an immense amount of ancillary noise. To test for this slide your fingers across home row. -- DeanGoodmanson
What's this mouse nonsense? Give me a good trackball or touchpad that I can manipulate with my fingers (please, no thumbs) any day of the week. It's the IBM nipple! (which I personally like)
"Comes in different sizes for different people." A keyboard should be no wider than your shoulders, particularly if you mouse with your right hand and there is a numeric keypad to the right of the alphabetic keypad. Mousing too far to one side creates tremendous trouble for your middle back. Take it from me. I've lost a few years of work due to RepetitiveStressInjury in my back. Typical desktop keyboards are designed with an AbleBodiedTwentyFiveYearOldMaleAssumption and are too wide for many women and children. The iMac keyboard from a few years ago fits me just fine (as did old, old AppleComputer keyboards), but Apple has unfortunately decided to place the arrow keys of all their desktop keyboards in their own area surrounded by a fair amount of space between the alphabetic and numeric areas, thereby making them like the typical PC keyboard: too darn wide. Considering how many women and children are in the public (and private) education system, and how elementary and secondary schools have traditionally been targets for AppleComputers, it's a shame Apple's new keyboards don't fit these people. -- ElizabethWiethoff

Another Set of Ideas

I have a very clear idea of the keyboard I'd like to make someday. (I say "make", because I have no real hope of finding one anywhere.) One of the key criteria is that I don't need to lift my wrists -- no more reaching up to the function keys above the main section. I picture a main typing section (QWERTY or Dvorak, doesn't really matter) with a keypad on each side. So each hand has two positions available -- in the center for typing letters and to the side for numbers, functions, control keys, etc. Obviously, some design work would have to go into the question of which keys/functions go into which side, but that can wait until the the possibility of realizing this idea becomes imminent.

how to diminish the stress of an output device ?

Keyboards are tool-centric devices. The light glove is going in the right direction of an user centric personal and universal output device of my brain towards the rest of the world.

Then, we may dream that somebody will provide us with a code powerful enough (26? 102? 256? values ) which can be produced with minimal movements and efforts of the quickest part of our physical body. It should be small and personally wearable like watches, spectacles or phones. With smart predictive software, it will double or more my best physical speed: i.e., 8 cps (I am not a virtuoso with 12/15 cps capability) will provide 16 words per second (two hands). I bet that it will be available very soon.