Had a therapist recently tell me, within a few minutes of meeting me “I think you have ADHD”. This post is not about that. But it is/was a catalyst. “I don’t think so; I focus just fine, I managed to get a degree in computer engineering” I say, cringing internally at the poor taste smoke screen defense. And also wondering why I was being so defensive. She seemed all the more vindicated when she asked me what hobbies I have, “I like to do projects” I had responded, she asked me how many of them I finish. Immediate thousand yard stare from me desperately searching for the last non-work thing that took longer than a day and also actually finished.
I’ve been working on bits and bobs. I felted a sauna hat for my lady for christmas. I designed a header pin to switches adapter pcb thing because I apparently am the only person at work who gets annoyed at the constant removing and adding of jumpers. I designed a small cover plate for the base of the segger jlink xilinx adapter. I changed Bao’s brakes. I installed carplay on Peters car. All these projects made me feel like I was spending my time well.
But - going back to the therapist office. All I could think was “you never never finished Trackie”.
Trackie is the code name I gave a project I came up with in early 2025. The name is a portmanteau of “Track” + “Key” and that is exactly what I want it to be. It is going to be the first trackpad on a mechanical key-cap.
The idea is simple and I cannot believe it is not been done before. Turn your keycap into a grid of capacitive touch electrodes so you can get xy location of your finger on the keycap. Make a grid of 9 of these keycaps so that you can actually get some resolution. Use a layer jump to easily switch between using your keyboard in trackpad mode or keyboard mode. And BAM - you can use your cursor and use your keyboard all without moving your hands from the home row.
Now the idea is out lose in the world. If I don’t make it, someone else will.
So I am making it. This year. I git commit to it.
So what is the plan?
Well the plan is to come up with a plan. That will be my first task.