PITS BOARD
Touch. Press. Feel. Take action.PitsBoard combines tactile controls, visual overlays, and application-specific profiles.A new way to interact with software.
Why PitsBoard
Most software is designed around keyboards, mice, and touchscreens.
PitsBoard explores what happens when physical controls, adaptive interfaces, and application-specific workflows become part of the same system.
An experimental platform for rethinking digital interaction.A physical layer for digital tools.
PHYSICAL GESTURES, DIFFERENTLY MAPPED.
The same surface can behave in completely different ways — from precise cursor control and radial selection to shortcuts, sliders, and layered actions.
FREE MOVE
Move the cursor freely, just like using a trackpad.
PRESS COMMAND
Execute assigned commands or switch interaction modes with a press.
DIAL SELECT
Use rotational gestures to select options, execute actions, or adjust values.
SHORTCUT SLIDE
Run shortcuts directly and swipe to switch between pages of commands.
HOW IT WORKS
Hardware, Overlay, and Studio work together to create a seamless physical-digital workflow.
Touch,press and swipe on the physical board.
Visual contrals appear on screen where you are looking.
Create and customize your own interactions and layouts.
Physical Input
You interact with the board.
Visual Feedback
Overlay appears and shows available actions.
Action Executed
The action is sent to your apps and system.
Fully Customizable
Design with Studio. Use and share.
HOW IT CONNECTS
Connect physical interactions to apps, tools, and AI.
PitsBoard
Overlay / Radial UI
Always-on overlay and radial menu
Suggestions / Review Cards
View, compare, and review suggestions and data
Action Engine
Process selections, execute commands, and handle parameters
Profiles / Workflows
Manage profiles and workflows
Command Execution
Run CLI commands and scripts
API Integration
Call local and remote APIs
HID Control
Control devices via HID
Shortcut Automation
Trigger shortcuts and hotkeys
AI Assistants
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more
Terminal & CLI
Terminal, iTerm, PowerShell, etc.
Developer Tools
VS Code, Cursor, Git, and more
Desktop Apps
Figma, Photoshop, Blender, etc.
Files & Storage
Local files, cloud drives, databases
Web Services
Notion, Slack, Gmail, and more
WORKFLOW EXAMPLES
Examples of how PitsBoard can adapt to different workflows.
CREATIVE WORKFLOWS
- Brush size adjustment
- Canvas navigation
- Object alignment
AI ASSISTANCE
- Action suggestions
- Command generation
- Text suggestions
SYSTEM CONTROL
- Volume & brightness
- Window switching
- App launching
TEXT & WRITING
- Cursor navigation
- Text selection
- AI-assisted editing
DEVELOPMENT
- Terminal commands
- Git operations
- Workspace switching
AUTOMATION
- Run scripts
- Trigger shortcuts
- Control connected services
HARDWARE
Designed around touch, pressure, and muscle memory.
PitsBoard combines capacitive touch sensing,pressure detection, and customizable surface layoutsto create a more tactile way to interact with software.
Swap plates.Change layouts.Adapt the surface to your workflow.
CUSTOM PLATES
A physical interface you can reshape.
PitsBoard uses interchangeable plates to turn the same sensing surface into different tactile layouts.
Plates can be 3D printed with conductive touch features, letting you modify existing layouts or create entirely new ones for your own workflow.
Standard
Balanced layout for everyday workflows.
Creative
Flexible controls for design and creative tools.
3D Modering
Precision controls for navigation and modeling.
DAW
Hands-on controls for mixing and music production.
PRESSURE & HAPTIC FEEDBACK
Traditional interfaces separate input and feedback. PitsBoard combines them into a single interaction loop.Touch to explore. Press to commit. Feel the result instantly through haptic feedback.A more direct connection between your hands and software.
Force Input
Traditional touch interfaces are limited to position.Force sensing adds depth to interaction.The same surface can become a button, a slider, a modifier, or a precision control depending on how pressure is applied.
HAPTIC FEEDBACK
Visual interfaces rely on your eyes. Haptic feedback lets your hands understand what happened without looking away.Different actions, states, and confirmations can be communicated through touch, helping you stay focused on your work.
CONTEXTUAL OVERLAY
A contextual layer between your hands and software.
PitsBoard surfaces relevant actions, suggestions,and controls exactly when you need them.
Touch to reveal.Select to confirm.Then get out of the way.
Currently available for macOS. Windows and Linux support are planned.
OVERLAY EXAMPLES
Preset mappings for different applications. Profiles switch automatically based on the active window.
ACTION OVERLAY
A temporary workspace for contextual information and actions.
Display dynamic content from AI, APIs, and custom actions alongside your workflow.
Show prompts, responses, progress, confirmations, and task-specific information when needed.
ACTION OVERLAY EXAMPLES
Different overlays for different tasks, triggered by context and actions.
PITSBOARD STUDIO
A browser-based platform for customizing and sharing PitsBoard profiles.Create your own shortcuts, layouts, and workflowswithout modifying the hardware.We're exploring a future where profiles can be shared,downloaded, and remixed by the community.
FROM KIT TO PLATFORM
A roadmap from open experimentation to a refined product ecosystem.
BUILDER KIT
Build it your way. An open development kit for creating your own tactile interfaces — and exploring the ideas and interactions that will shape the future Pits Board product.
STUDIO / COMMUNITY
Build it together. Share what you create, exchange ideas, and help shape what comes next. Feedback from early builders will directly inform Pits board Studio and the wider platform.
PRODUCT
efined for everyone. What we learn from the Builder Kit and community will shape a more polished product, backed by integrated hardware, scalable production, and dedicated support.
ABOUT DEVELOPMENT
PitsBoard is an independent hardware project developed in Japan.
PitsBoard is not a closed consumer device.
Rather than defining a finished product behind closed doors, we want to develop it in the open and shape it together with people around the world. We plan to share hardware designs, firmware, software tools, and specifications for swappable plates as development progresses.Users will be able to create their own plates and profiles, experiment with new interactions, and share what they build with the community. PitsBoard is still evolving. Feedback, experiments, and contributions from the community will help shape what it becomes.
Join the Community
Share feedback, swap modular hardware designs, and coordinate custom software mappings inside our Discord. Follow us on X for logs and developer updates.