Cooler Master Using Kickstarter? The Analog ControlPad Using Aimpad Tech

We don’t report on Kickstarter projects very often, despite the hundreds of emails we get about them each day. The ones we do report on don’t usually have happy endings. However, this time around, this particular Kickstarter caught our attention because of the company that set it up: Cooler Master. This isn’t strictly ‘new’ at this point, but it did take us a while to find it, and the campaign is still going on, so we’re taking a look at it anyway.

Kickstarter is normally used as a platform to build-up interest and raise awareness so that a company can flease raise money for product development or put toward manufacture startup. If there’s one company that shouldn’t need that kind of financial help, it would be Cooler Master. What makes this particular Kickstarter interesting is that CM is very upfront about it. So what’s going on?

First of all, it would help to talk about what it is that Cooler Master is showcasing here, and what it expects from the Kickstarter campaign. The product in question is the ControlPad, which is a standalone keyboard numpad-like extension with a twist.

What do Cooler Master, Aimpad, and Kickstarter have in common? ControlPad! Let us know what you would do with 24 fully programmable mechanical analog keys on the Kickstarter page or in the comments below for a chance to win a CK552 keyboard! https://t.co/laykpgd8Gy pic.twitter.com/AVzyeVqAMB

— Cooler Master (@CoolerMaster) October 11, 2018

The ControlPad is effectively a prototype analog keyboard extension that uses Aimpad technology, and is something we saw briefly at Computex. Aimpad is an infra-red sensing extension to normal keys that allows them to gauge the depth of a key press; how far you’ve pushed the key down. Sounds pretty simple, but what’s the point?

Keyboards used with computers are digital by nature. They are either on or off; a key is pressed, or it isn’t, there is no middle ground. This is fine for typing and for simple controls in games, but you run into certain limitations rather quickly. Have you ever tried a driving sim using a keyboard? It’s painful to say the least. Because of the digital nature of the keys, your choice of input is a hard left and crash into a wall, or don’t turn left, and crash into oncoming traffic – there’s no middle ground.

That basic lack of fine movement means that you just don’t play driving sims or racing games on a keyboard, you just don’t have the control. It’s not limited to racing, but also FPS and third-person games too, where you want to walk slowly or run at different speeds, things you can do with gamepad’s joystick quite easily.

So why not just use a gamepad? Simple, because people want the precision of a mouse to aim and shoot, but also want the fine control of a gamepad for movement – and shockingly, there are very few games that let you do that. Trying to use a gamepad in one hand and a mouse in the other is surprisingly difficult too. So a compromise is needed.

Valve attempted to tackle the problem with a mouse-like alternative with its touchpad system, which detects pressure and acceleration to mimic the reflex movement of a mouse. The problem is that it still isn’t as precise as a real mouse, but it at least handles the gamepad movement aspect quite well. It’s good enough to play RTS games on a TV, but still not good enough for FPS without some kind of aim-assist.

This is where Aimpad comes in. It’s not a new technology, as we first covered it back in 2014, but its tracktion has been somewhat slow. The idea is to let people use a mouse to aim, and an analog keyboard for movement, getting the best of both worlds – at least with a little bit of practice. So what’s this got to do with Cooler Master and Kickstarter?

Cooler Master has already intended to release a full-sized keyboard with Aimpad keys in the WASD area, and it showcased that back at Computex. The ControlPad is something new, but Cooler Master isn’t explicitly targeting gamers for its launch, but rather, ‘non-traditional community’. An excerpt from the Kickstarter page highlights something interesting as well:

Why is Cooler Master using Kickstarter first instead of testing beforehand?

Launching on Kickstarter will enable us to access a wider range of users and Kickstarter’s vast innovation database from our non-traditional community. We do not need the money like a startup does. We fully and honestly acknowledge this. But by using this method to get feedback and first launching on Kickstarter, we’re able to offer the product at a discounted price than the product we’ll mass produce. We believe if people are willing to first support the technology before it hits mass market, they’ll most likely be highly motivated, rigorously use the product, and get the most use out of the product. This will result in better feedback for us to improve the software and overall user experience with ControlPad.

Emboldened there is something you just don’t see very often, which is somewhat refreshing. So if Cooler Master isn’t after the money, what is it after? Enthusiastic people who want to help polish up the product, as well as use it in environments CM hasn’t thought of, namely professional applications such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro. Think of scrubbing through a timeline at different speeds based on how hard you push the key, or controlling brush size on the fly without a Wacom tablet.

Games are still a primary focus, and a number of games are supported, but it’s a case of getting feedback on how the ControlPad performs. There are 24 programmable keys, and the software will really need a lot of work beyond simple macro support, as that variability in the key depth will play a large part. There are also two rollers directly above the keys. Scrolling can be handled by the mouse, but flicking between tools in an application might be a good use-case.

I’m sure CAD 3D users will see the benefit of a large block of macro keys as well, and a lot of people will end up using the ControlPad for that, but since Aimpad keys are still relatively unknown (despite being around for a few years now), it will take time to explore what other options there are for the keys, and that’s what the Kickstarter is for – lower-cost entry for prototype units to test out, beyond just the gaming community.

Starting at $65 for the Gateron switches, or $85 for the Cherry MX switches, it’s cheaper than a full mechanical keyboard, but all 24 keys have the Aimpad functionality. Cooler Master’s MK850 isn’t out yet, which only has 8 Aimpad keys, but it is a full mechanical keyboard. If all you are after is programmable keypads for macros or shortcuts, there are dozens you can find on places like Amazon, such as an 80-key programmable board with backlighting, or something a little more fancy with LCD displays on the keys themselves.

The Aimpad technology Cooler Master has licensed here is still in the early days, but there is definitely promise in it. I have wanted to see some kind of mouse/gamepad combo used in games for a while, since the keyboard, while highly configurable, doesn’t allow the kind of finesse needed for certain games.

Cooler Master going through Kickstarter is somewhat surprising, but at the same time, it’s a prototype. People will be developing the tech, rather than simply buying the finished product, which might explain why a year later, Cooler Master still hasn’t officially released an Aimpad keyboard yet.

If you are interested in the tech, and want early access, getting the ControlPad through Kickstarter is definitely an option, otherwise you can wait and see for the official release where some of the design quirks have already been ironed out.