HN Explorer

Show HN: Elytra – A 420g CNC aluminum, wireless split keyboard (elimkeys.com)

4 points by cui511511 ↗ HN
Hi HN, I'm Edan, the creator of ElimKeys.

I've always loved ergonomic split keyboards, but I hated the desk clutter. Most splits on the market either require that annoying TRRS bridge cable between the two halves, or if they are wireless, they are often housed in bulky 3D-printed or plastic cases.

I wanted something that felt premium like a custom mechanical keyboard but was light enough to throw in a backpack. So, I built the Elytra.

A few technical details:

Truly Wireless: No cables between the halves or to the computer.

Material: CNC-machined aluminum chassis. We used a biomimetic design on the underside to shave off weight without losing structural integrity.

Weight: It weighs only 420g (0.93 lbs), which is weirdly light for a full-metal board.

Firmware: Powered by ZMK.

I would love to hear your feedback on the layout, the industrial design, or any questions about the manufacturing process. Happy to answer anything!

6 comments

[ 4.6 ms ] story [ 27.3 ms ] thread
chtn
loved the design..
cui511511
Thank you! It really means a lot to hear that. We put a lot of love into making it look as clean as possible.
marekful
Looks neat, could be the keyboard that makes me try / switch to split design, unless...

Did you release it without an option for ISO layout, and you thought that was OK? Not for Europe...

cui511511
I hear you loud and clear! I'm really glad you like the design, but it definitely hurts to leave our European friends hanging for this initial launch.

To be completely transparent, as a new hardware project, the tooling costs and MOQs meant we had to stick to just ANSI for the very first batch to get the project off the ground. That said, we definitely haven't forgotten about Europe. ISO is absolutely on our roadmap. Once we hit a stable production volume with this initial run, adding ISO and other layouts will be our next priority. Thanks for the feedback!

mike_strings872
The intersection of music and web dev is fun. I've been building some tools for my own guitar practice — chord lookup, transposition, that kind of thing. The Web Audio API is surprisingly capable if you want to get into synthesis.