This device is the brain child of Jason Giddings. Right now Jason is trying to gain the funding he needs to complete the project and is using Kickstarter to help raise this money. He needs $50,000 by January 1st 2012 to get the project fully funded. As of this writing he still has $31,786 to with 32 days left.

According to Jason’s posting the new keyboard and touch pad (that are still nameless) are based on an existing technology called Frustrated Total Internal Reflection (FTIR). This employs a series of IR LEDs along the lower edge of the glass. The light from these LEDs ends up getting bounced around inside the glass until the surface is touched. This changes the reflective properties of the glass and causes the light to be diffused downward where the input cameras pick it up.  

Once the light is diffused downward the software (all Open Source) interprets the patters and translates them into input. The concept is simple and the product looks like it will be a knock out aesthetically once it hits the market (which I am sure it will).

If you are interested in helping Jason out check out his Kickstarter post

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