Modular Keyboard Design Uses RISC-V Components
The open-source project enables physical key rearrangement using magnetic modules and RISC-V microcontrollers.
Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Semiconductors
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Designer Nathan Alspaugh has developed Keybytes, an open-source, modular keyboard project that allows users to physically rearrange their input layout. The system relies on individual RISC-V microcontroller-based keys that connect via magnets and pogo pins.
Why it matters
This project explores the viability of decentralized, reconfigurable input hardware by enabling modular design changes through a standardized, open-source framework. It demonstrates how low-cost microcontrollers can facilitate hardware customization at the component level.
The system utilizes pogo pins on all four sides of each key module to carry power and I2C data signals. While individual Keybit boards cost a few dollars, the system requires a $30 controller module to interface with a host computer.
The players
Nathan Alspaugh
An engineer and researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who developed the Keybytes modular hardware system.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The academic research institution where the project designer is affiliated.
The details
Keybytes uses custom printed circuit boards and Cherry MX switches housed in 3D-printed cases. Pogo pins—spring-loaded pins used for electrical contact—connect adjacent modules to ensure continuous power and data transmission. Each key contains a RISC-V microcontroller, an open-standard instruction set architecture, to process inputs before sending data to the central controller.
Timeline
March 2026: Nathan Alspaugh began documenting the project.
October 26, 2026: Details regarding the keyboard design were published.
The Tech Race
Keybytes marks a departure from fixed-layout peripherals like the ErgoDox split keyboard by enabling fully modular, magnetic key connectivity. It prioritizes user-defined physical geometry over the static layouts common in modern mechanical keyboards.
Users can access the project designs via GitHub to build their own hardware using off-the-shelf components. Commercial board sales are planned, though no pricing or availability dates have been finalized.
The takeaway
Alspaugh intends to finalize designs for future commercial release and expand the modular library to include fingerprint sensors. Interested parties should monitor the project repository for updates on potential kit availability and future hardware extensions.
Further reading
For more on evolving input hardware, see our Semiconductors section.
More information
View the schematics and GitHub project files for assembly requirements.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TheRegister.
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