Novel uses of your Android headunit may call for alternative input devices. We all know about the touch screen, but what if you can’t reach or touch the screen? Maybe you would like the rear passengers to have control over the Android headunit; maybe it isn’t even in a vehicle? A keyboard and mouse could help?
Non-car use
These novel uses for an Android headunit usually find themselves in the ‘non-car use’ category. Some have used them with game emulators or just YouTube video players; others have put them in boats. Whatever you choose to do with your Android headunit is nice to know that it could be a compatible keyboard and mouse. This feature would open up the possibilities to control and input information, even just for a more ergonomic keyboard if you needed to type more than just a Wi-Fi password.
Two USB
The disadvantage of two devices is that a keyboard and a separate mouse may use a more valuable USB port, so that a solution would be combining the two devices into a single unit. This would only require one USB port, allowing both devices to communicate to the Android headunit.
Will it work?
Will it work? It is a difficult question to answer, as the saying says, ‘It worked for me, but your mileage may vary.’ Luckily, it isn’t challenging to find out, and the test is as simple as just plugging the USB BT adaptor into a free USB port and putting batteries into the controller.
The actual keyboard-trackpad (eBay) that has worked on the Android headunits is very cheap, so very little is lost if it doesn’t work, but lots to gain if it does. It is well worth getting the mini trackpad to test the compatibility; let us know if it worked for you in the comments.
