Keybow 2040 Google Meet Controller

Control your Google Meet calls using the Pimoroni Keybow 2040 mechanical keypad! This project provides a Chrome extension and CircuitPython code to create a physical control interface for Google Meet.

🎯 Features

• 16-key mechanical keypad with RGB lighting
• Physical controls for common Google Meet actions:
  • Toggle microphone/camera
  • Open/close chat and participants
  • Raise/lower hand
  • Toggle captions
  • Send emoji reactions (👍, 👏, 😂)
  • Leave call
• Visual feedback with color-coded LEDs
• No complex setup - works as a USB keyboard

📦 Components

1. Chrome Extension (chrome-extension/)

   • Listens for keyboard shortcuts
   • Controls Google Meet interface
   • Works on https://meet.google.com/*

2. CircuitPython Code (keybow-2040-code/)

   • Runs on Keybow 2040
   • Sends keyboard shortcuts via USB HID
   • Provides RGB feedback

🔧 Hardware Requirements

• Pimoroni Keybow 2040 (£39)
• USB-C cable
• Computer with Chrome browser

🚀 Installation

1. Prepare Keybow 2040

1. Install CircuitPython firmware:

   • Download CircuitPython for Keybow 2040
   • Hold BOOT button while connecting USB
   • Drag .uf2 file to RPI-RP2 drive

2. Install libraries:

   • Download CircuitPython Library Bundle
   • Copy these to lib/ folder on Keybow 2040:
     • adafruit_hid/
     • keybow2040.py
     • adafruit_is31fl3731.py
     • adafruit_bus_device/
     • adafruit_register/

3. Install code:

   • Copy keybow-2040-code/code.py to root of Keybow 2040
   • Copy keybow-2040-code/boot.py to root of Keybow 2040

2. Install Chrome Extension

1. Load extension:

   • Open Chrome and go to chrome://extensions/
   • Enable "Developer mode"
   • Click "Load unpacked"
   • Select the chrome-extension/ folder

2. Test installation:

   • Go to Google Meet
   • Join or start a meeting
   • Try keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+Shift+M for mic toggle)

🎮 Key Layout

Row 1: [Mic]    [Camera]  [Chat]    [Participants]
Row 2: [Hand]   [Captions] [Leave]  [Empty]
Row 3: [👍]     [👏]       [😂]      [Empty]
Row 4: [Empty]  [Empty]    [Empty]   [Empty]

Color Coding

• Red: Microphone
• Green: Camera / Thumbs up
• Blue: Chat
• Yellow: Participants / Clap
• Magenta: Hand raise / Laugh
• Cyan: Captions
• Orange: Leave call
• White: Key pressed (feedback)

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Shortcut	Key Position
Toggle Mic	Ctrl+Alt+M	(0,0)
Toggle Camera	Ctrl+Alt+V	(0,1)
Toggle Chat	Ctrl+Alt+T	(0,2)
Toggle Participants	Ctrl+Alt+U	(0,3)
Toggle Hand	Ctrl+Alt+H	(1,0)
Toggle Captions	Ctrl+Alt+S	(1,1)
Leave Call	Ctrl+Alt+Q	(1,2)
Thumbs Up	Ctrl+Alt+1	(2,0)
Clap	Ctrl+Alt+2	(2,1)
Laugh	Ctrl+Alt+3	(2,2)

🔧 Troubleshooting

Keybow 2040 Issues

• Not recognized: Check CircuitPython firmware installation
• No LED response: Verify library installation
• Keys not working: Check boot.py enables HID keyboard

Chrome Extension Issues

• Shortcuts not working: Check extension is loaded and enabled
• Meet buttons not found: Google Meet may have updated - selectors may need adjustment
• Permission denied: Ensure extension has access to meet.google.com

General Issues

• Delay in response: Normal - USB HID and web page interaction have small delays
• Some functions missing: Google Meet features vary by account type and meeting settings

🛠️ Customization

Adding New Functions

1. Add keyboard shortcut in chrome-extension/manifest.json
2. Add handler in meet-controller.js
3. Add key mapping in keybow-2040-code/code.py

Changing Key Layout

Edit KEY_MAPPING in code.py:

(row, col): ("Description", [Keycode.CONTROL, Keycode.SHIFT, Keycode.KEY], (r, g, b))

Custom Colors

Modify RGB values in KEY_MAPPING for different LED colors.

📝 Technical Details

Communication Method

• Simple approach: Keybow 2040 acts as USB keyboard
• No complex protocols: Uses standard HID keyboard shortcuts
• Cross-platform: Works on any OS that supports USB keyboards

Google Meet Integration

• Content script: Runs on Google Meet pages
• DOM manipulation: Finds and clicks Meet interface buttons
• Mutation observer: Handles dynamic content changes

🤝 Contributing

Feel free to submit issues and enhancement requests!

📄 License

MIT License - see original Stream Deck project for inspiration.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• This project started as an original idea - during research I discovered the Stream Deck project and drew inspiration from it
• Google Meet button selectors and DOM interaction patterns inspired by the Stream Deck Google Meet project
• Thanks to Pimoroni for the excellent Keybow 2040 hardware
• CircuitPython community for excellent documentation