Magnets let makers customize an open source keyboard, which lets them swap parts like magnetic legos

A keyboard built for rearranging

The project offers a customizable alternative to standard keyboard layouts: each key is a separate module, and magnets connect the pieces. Users can rearrange the modules rather than commit to a single fixed design.

Alspaugh, an aerospace engineering student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said he had wanted to build a keyboard but could not find one that allowed this kind of flexibility. He began documenting the work in a project journal in March.

Many parts and hours of work

The GitHub project describes a build involving custom printed circuit boards, Cherry MX switches, 3D-printed cases and numerous small components that must be soldered. Alspaugh’s journal provides more detail about the work involved.

He told The Register he has spent about 100 hours on the project so far. A full-sized keyboard would cost roughly $900, he said, making that version expensive to produce.

Files available for makers

Alspaugh said people with the necessary components could likely assemble their own keyboard in a few days, not including the time needed for printed circuit boards to arrive. The project files are available on GitHub for people interested in building their own version.