atreus

>I'm working on a similar programmatic definition of the Atreus here: https://icosahedron.website/@technomancy/101809590723531930 >The circuit board already uses programmatic alignment for placing the switches and diodes: https://github.com/technomancy/atreus/blob/master/atreus.rkt Advances like these, especially the last one, are where I hoped state-of-the-art keyboard design would be headed. Amazing work! In the same vein, I have found an interesting python library that's capable of generating KiCAD circuits: https://xesscorp.github.io/skidl/docs/_site/

The Dactyl is definitely neat. It's designed for a different use case tho; you wouldn't take a Dactyl with you when you're out and about, while the Atreus is specifically designed for travel. I'm working on a similar programmatic definition of the Atreus here: https://icosahedron.website/@technomancy/101809590723531930 It's still a work-in-progress, but being able to tweak the input parameters and recompile to get the board regenerated is really handy! The circuit board already uses programmatic alignment for placing the switches and diodes: https://github.com/technomancy/atreus/blob/master/atreus.rkt

Absolutely; I'm using a slightly modified layout myself. Both the design and the firmware(s) are free software: - Design (GPLv3): https://github.com/technomancy/atreus - Current firmware (GPLv2+): https://github.com/technomancy/tmk_keyboard/tree/atreus - Older firmware, great for learning (GPLv3): https://github.com/technomancy/atreus-firmware

I used to think being able to touch type on any surface would be really cool, but after some experience with the nightmare that is typing on a touch-screen mobile, I'm convinced it would just be frustrating. What makes typing satisfying (and accurate) is the feedback you get when a switch has actuated; otherwise you must be much more hesitant with your keystrokes. FWIW I had the same objection to a fancy stationary keyboard as you, so I ended up designing and building my own tiny travel keyboard: https://github.com/technomancy/atreus

One cool thing about the new version is that it uses s-expressions for its file format. I was disappointed to find that I couldn't perform rotation on a group of footprints at once, but once I took a look at the file format I found it was easy to load into Racket, do a little trig, and spit out the rotated forms: https://github.com/technomancy/atreus/blob/master/atreus.rkt...

I actually taught myself an "optimized" keyboard layout called QGMLWY[1] and got up to my normal typing speed. I had to go back to qwerty though because it was too much overhead to get the layout on every device I use. I definitely noticed an improvement in ergonomics. My current project is building an Atreus keyboard[2] which will have the QGMLWY layout in hardware, hopefully bypassing all the compatibility issues. [1] http://mkweb.bcgsc.ca/carpalx/?full_optimization [2] https://github.com/technomancy/atreus

I've gotten several pull requests to my free hardware design that I sell as my primary source of income. Granted, a PCB change is difficult to test given the minimum order quantity, but other physical designs like cases are easy to do a one-off if you have access to a laser cutter or 3D printer. https://github.com/technomancy/atreus/pull/4 https://github.com/technomancy/atreus/pull/10 https://github.com/technomancy/atreus/pull/15 As someone mentioned elsewhere in the comments, RMS thinks on a much longer time scale than you and I. Prototyping PCBs is already dramatically easier than it was ten years ago; I'm convinced the cost and MOQ will only continue to drop.

you can grab a full kit here: http://atreus.technomancy.us/ but it's pretty easy to source the parts, see https://github.com/technomancy/atreus/ (which also has links to build instructions)

Related: a hardware hacker that I know recently designed and made a new keyboard[1], which looks really interesting and fun to make. Fortunately he also provided really good detailed instructions[1][2] so other people can make it too. I'm not at the skill stage yet where I can make it myself, but it'll probably be the first complex hardware project I eventually undertake. [1]: https://github.com/technomancy/atreus [2]: http://technomancy.us/173