FOSSMeet 2016

We all use keyboards. And not all of us care enough about them to ensure that, like our operating systems, they are hackable too. What could be better than to build your own keyboard using open hardware designs and components and then program it using free / open source software?

Outline

During the course of my talk, I would like to introduce the concept of building your own keyboard, the process and components involved and the sort of possibilities that the open source keyboard firmware opens up for you. I will have some of my recent keyboard assemblies on display for participants to check out.

I will open up one of my keyboards and then walk through the assembly process quickly.

Participants can walk away with pointers to how they can order the required components to build their own keyboard if they wish to do so.

Requirements

Curiosity and openness.

I want them to walk away caring for their keyboards a little more. In the long run their productivity, fingers and wrists will thank them.

Speaker bio

I have been working on Free Software exclusively since 1999 and also run a business building solutions around FOSS for customers. I’ve always been passionate about keyboards and have ordered quite a few over the last 5 years. However, for about a year now I’ve started building keyboard for myself and some friends too. I don’t think I’ve built my last or best keyboard yet and I believe there is room for so much innovation with keyboards themselves.