Show HN: Mathpad – Physical keypad for typing 100+ math symbols anywhere

Summary

Mathpad is a specialized keypad that makes typing mathematical equations as simple as typing regular text. With over 100 mathematical symbols at your fingertips, this compact and powerful device eliminates the frustration and inefficiency of typing math on a computer. What if Mathematical Symbols Were as Easy to Type as Regular Letters?After 3 years of development, Mathpad finally makes this dream a reality. Anyone who’s struggled to type equations knows the pain: When you need symbols beyond basic arithmetic, you’re forced to hunt for them—copy-pasting from the web, digging through clunky symbol pickers, or memorizing obscure alt-codes. Mathpad fixes this. Just press a key, and the symbol appears instantly. Works Anywhere You TypeMathpad is designed to be compatible with nearly every platform and environment where you can type text. Whether you’re writing a lab report in Microsoft Word, formatting a paper in LaTeX, chatting on Discord, or documenting code in VSCode, Mathpad seamlessly integrates into your workflow. Its broad compatibility across Windows, macOS, and Linux makes it the perfect tool for students writing lab reports, educators creating lesson plans, scientists documenting research, and engineers solving real-world problems. Outputs for LaTeX and Equation EditorsMathpad is optimized for both students and professionals and supports output for common typesetters and editors. With the press of a key, you can switch between output modes: Plaintext symbols for universal communication LaTeX codes for academic writing Microsoft Office Equation Editor symbols LibreOffice Equation Editor codes Whether you’re a student finishing homework or a researcher publishing your newest work, Mathpad has got your back. Fully Open Source and CustomizableMathpad is fully open source, both hardware and software. Missing a symbol you use daily? No problem! Our comprehensive documentation walks you through adding your own symbols - from simple copy-paste customizations to advanc...