image via Mac Rumors

Computer users have had decades to get comfortable with the notion of noodling with a mouse and keyboard for gaming and churning out work. If a freshly filed Apple patent is any indication, however, our long-term relationship with the the most basic of human interface devices could soon come to an end. It seems that the company's engineers have been tinkering with the notion of incorporating touch gestures into future iterations of their keyboards, making the need for a mouse moot.

Back in 2005, Apple acquired a company called FingerWorks--a company chiefly known for the production of multi-touch enabled hardware geared towards individuals suffering from a host of debilitating medical conditions. Building on the foundation of the intellectual property they gained as a result of the acquisition, Apple has devised a method for incorporating a conventional mechanical keyboard with hardware that allows for gesture-based control of a computer user's desktop environment. The keyboard captures a user's gestures through the use of four cameras positioned around the edges of the keyboard. Theoretically, this system could allow a computer user to interact with an on screen item without having to remove their hands from the keyboard.

As with all Apple patents, it's best to take this one with a grain of salt until such time as we a finished product appear on stage as part of a Keynote presentation.

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