Franklin teen creates keyboard of the future
FRANKLIN, Wis. - When's the last time you thought about what your fingers are doing when you type? For one Franklin teen, he's been obsessing about it for years. His attempts to redesign something that has stayed pretty constant for the past half century has now earned him a chance at a $10,000 scholarship.
"I've always been super fascinated with computers," said Franklin High School senior Shamit Surana. He said what started as a COVID project to learn computer design and coding led to a fascinating discovery.
"I came to a powerful realization. I realize that keyboards haven't significantly evolved over the last 50 years," said Surana.
Shamit Surana
Surana's aha moment may revolutionize the way we type.
"My business is called Halo Keys. And my first product is the Elemental-75, which is a highly customizable and intelligent keyboard," explained Surana.
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When we asked what was wrong with the keyboard we used to type out this interview, Surana said his is a step ahead.
Halokeys
"Imagine a world where the keyboard understands you as a user. So you could broaden that even further. Think about just that you have a human computer interface. Imagine if that human computer interface can think about you as a user and understand what your intention is with it," said Surana.
Surana's keyboard uses artificial intelligence to predict and automatically complete repetitive tasks.
Halokeys
"The name of the game is efficiency," said Surana.
It is a concept Surana as been tweaking as an AI researcher at UW-Milwaukee, tested by crowdsourcing online, and is nearing production of his first 50 prototypes.
Surana's parents say it's been tough to keep up with their bright kid.
Shamit Surana
"It's a challenge," laughed dad, Rajiv Surana. "Whenever he needs something, he's so well-prepared that I have always lost the battle with him."
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Surana's parents said an interest in running his own business can be traced back to endless games of Monopoly they endured when he was a child. As a teen, Surana forked over paperwork to keep his business secrets safe.
"He came to me bringing an NDA, because he was only 16, he said, ‘Mom, can you sign the NDA?’ And I'm like I was surprised. Do you know what NDA is? And he explained it to me," explained his mom, Priti Surana.
Shamit Surana
Surana's best attribute may be his ability to balance. Surana pays varsity soccer, performs in a regional orchestra and even led a design-thinking course he created for fellow high schoolers. All of it helping type out one of his most impressive feats yet, Junior Achievement Young Entrepreneur Live Finalist. He is ready to wow the judges with a company the rest of us are still trying to compute.
"Absolutely! I'm definitely pumped," said Surana.