offbeat

Every key is its own module, and its designer tells us the sky's the theoretical limit on the size of the frankenboard you can build

The world is full of different keyboard layouts, but if you want one that's completely customized, down to the individual key, there's a new open source project that uses magnets to hold interchangeable pieces together.

Keybytes is an open source project that allows any ambitious builder to create a fully modular keyboard - and we’re talking FULLY modular here. Each key contains its own RISC-V microcontroller and pogo pins on all four sides, providing power and I2C connections between adjacent modules so users can rearrange the keys into different layouts. The only extra component needed is a controller module, which coordinates the individual keys and handles communication with the host computer.…