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[Show] We hated split keyboard cable clutter, so we CNC-machined our own 420g truly wireless board (ZMK) (elimkeys.com)
submitted 7 months ago by to c/mechanicalkeyboards@lemmy.ml
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Hey Fediverse,

Our team wanted to share a hardware project we've been pouring our hearts into. We love the ergonomics of split keyboards, but we were always frustrated by the messy TRRS bridge cables and the bulky plastic/3D-printed cases that usually come with wireless builds.

So, we spent the last few months developing our own solution: Elytra.

The Specs & Philosophy:

100% Truly Wireless: Powered by ZMK. No wires to the PC, and absolutely zero cables between the halves. Just a perfectly clean desk.

Ultralight CNC Aluminum: We applied a biomimetic cutout design on the underside. It gives you the premium feel of a full-metal custom board, but the entire chassis weighs only 420g.

Designed for Longevity: We know this community values hardware that lasts. The design is modular and repair-friendly, making it easy to open up, maintain, or tweak over time.

We just opened our site for early pre-orders. Since the Fediverse has some of the most knowledgeable hardware geeks around, we'd love to get your raw feedback on the layout, the industrial design, or any ZMK configuration tips!

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[–] [S] 3 points 7 months ago (1 child)

The keycaps are specifically designed for Kailh Choc V2 low-profile switches — they're low-profile keycaps with a different stem from standard MX mechanical keycaps, so they're not interchangeable with regular mechanical keycaps. The switches themselves are hot-swappable though, so if you ever want to try different actuation forces, you can swap them out without soldering. The keyboard uses a row-staggered layout to keep the learning curve at zero — you open the box and type like on any standard keyboard. Totally get the "something missing" look though, especially if you're used to seeing full-size or even 60% layouts with continuous rows. It does take a minute to adjust visually.

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago

    I meant the flange on the key caps makes it look like there's a top plate overlay missing. A key cap with straight vwrtical sides is what I was expecting for a custom keyboard. But if the keycaps are ever swappable with other low profile styles that match Kaith ChocV2 then that's totally a non issue.

    I love split keyboards though; being wide shouldered means a conventional keyboard is cramped.

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