}
Client: Secret Robot
An exploration into altered perception and assumptions in user interfaces.,
Or, the world’s first (and only) bleeding keyboard simulator.
Our expertise in digging into undocumented platform internals and reversing came in handy as we explored the uncharted territory of writing an iOS keyboard extension in OpenGL.
The first challenge was to match native iOS keyboard layouts that vary across devices and screen sizes. Our team devised a simple solution that drastically cut development time and matches keyboard layouts across a dozen iDevices.,
Along the way we uncovered a trove of undocumented requirements, platform constraints, and iOS bugs. We solved these through a combination of engineering, debugging, and design.
iOS custom keyboard apps must fit within a very strict memory profile, startup quickly, and use limited CPU and GPU resources. We satisfied these requirements by rewriting UIKit functionality in OpenGL with fast GLSL shaders, and we reduced memory allocations to the bare minimum by carefully using GPU resources.
The result is a finely-tuned app that runs at a solid 60 FPS with low impact on device resources.
While adults don’t always get it, kids can’t get enough of this fun bleeding-edge keyboard technology.