Minuum provides a new take on the QWERTY keyboard

Indiegogo project Minuum wants to revolutionize the QWERTY keyboard on your mobile devices. The project's condensed version of a classic layout aims to provide users with a simple and quick typing solution that gives our apps a little more room to breath.

Though the keyboard is one of the most important and often lamented features of any mobile OS, its something that's seen a surprisingly small amount of development since the sky-rocketing popularity of touchscreen mobile devices. While major manufacturers are constantly tweaking their QWERTY offerings, and Swype continues to provide a more streamlined typing experience, nothing has really changed the status quo. With this in mind, the new Minuum keyboard from Whirlscape is looking to make waves.

The layout might look a little foreign at first glance, but take a closer look and you'll realize that what you're seeing is actually just a squashed-down version of that all-too-familiar QWERTY keyboard you know and love (or hate, as the case may be).

The design places the letters in diagonal groups of three letters, with the system's smart auto-correct feature (reportedly) picking up the slack from your inaccurate fingers. You can also hold down on the letters for a magnified view when more accuracy is required.

There are a number of benefits to this streamlined design. First and foremost is the recovery of more than half the screen space taken up by conventional keyboards. The similar key layout also means that users won't have to relearn the key placement, something that should make the transition to Minuum significantly easier.

The team behind the unusual new keyboard has some pretty big ideas for its future, suggesting that it could be used beyond the touchscreen, with input methods ranging from game controllers to motion-based applications and even camera-based, wearable tech uses. The team also intends to implement an iOS developer library, showcasing Minuum-enabled apps.

The project has already more than tripled its US$10,000 Indiegogo funding target at the time of this posting, with 29 days still left to go. The Minuum iOS app is already up and running, with the team now working on the Android beta which it plans to release two months after the funding campaign concludes.

Scroll down for a closer look at the Minuum keyboard.

Source: Whirlscape via Indiegogo