Open source

These open-source, levitating keyboard switches can be 3D printed at home

Insiders and analysts predict the3 d打印技术趋势to watch in our latest series of articles focused on the future of 3D printing.

Riskable,业余爱好者和3D打印爱好者开发了一种创新的新密钥开关机制,可用于PC键盘。

命名‘Void Switch’, the design is completely open-source and can be fabricated at home with any run-of-the-mill FFF 3D printer. The novelty of the mechanism lies in its use of magnets, which makes it levitation-based and entirely contactless. In contrast, standard mechanical keyboard switches rely on springs and metallic contact plates to determine whether or not a key has been pressed.

Interestingly, the Void Switch mechanism is also fully customizable in its feel, allowing users to adjust both the tactility and return force of the keys based on personal preferences.

组装的空隙开关。gif通过风险。
组装的空隙开关。gif通过风险。

The world of mechanical keyboards

尽管普通人可能不会给他们的计算外围设备太多思考,但PC游戏和编程社区中的人往往对套筒机械键盘具有特殊的亲和力。

与笔记本电脑上的紧凑型钥匙不同,机械键具有更深的深度,并在压下时会提供更令人满意的感觉。通常,您可以从它们发出的声音中判断两者之间的区别:机械键盘通常会发出更大的“杂物”声音。

Beyond just the RGB lighting, mechanical keyboards can be modified and customized in almost every aspect from the casing and stabilizers to the keycaps and key switches. The key switches, in particular, are what determine the tactile response of the keyboard, whether it’s a click, bump, or smooth descent all the way down.

The 3D printed Void Switch

Riskable’s 3D printed Void Switch uses a Hall effect sensor to determine the pressing of the key, a type of sensor that detects the presence of a magnetic field. Each switch mechanism features three individual 4 x 2mm magnets, one central static magnet for the levitator, and two moving magnets embedded in the switch’s slider.

这两个移动磁体位于静态磁体上方和下方,并在吸引和排斥之间保持平衡。具体而言,下磁体是提供触觉的原因,而上部磁铁是提供反向作用的排斥力的原因。在常规的钥匙开关中,将使用弹簧来提供此反击。

此外,该机制的OpenSCAD文件是可自定义的,用户可以修改磁铁的分离。这就是可以完全控制触觉和钥匙的反击的原因。

Riskable recommends 3D printing the Void Switches using PETG filament due to the material’s deep sound profile and comparatively low coefficient of friction, which makes key presses smoother. However, a material like PLA will also work just fine. For those that want a quieter experience, the switches can also be paired with 3D printed TPU keycaps (92A or harder). TPU is flexible enough to absorb much of the sound energy but won’t buckle or bend under the force of a finger.

The Void Switch relies on a series of magnets that push against each other to provide resistance. Image via Riskable.
The Void Switch relies on a series of magnets that push against each other to provide resistance. Image via Riskable.

All of the open-source 3D files needed for the project can be downloaded on Riskable’s GitHub.

开源社区无疑是创新的源泉,以低成本提供新颖的3D打印应用程序。本月初,YouTuberAkaki Kuumeri创建一个3D printed adapter for the PS5 DualSense controllerthat enables users to play games one-handed. The add-on can be applied non-destructively to game controllers in order to allow for non-standard hand positions and make playing video games more accessible to those with physical disabilities.

在其他地方,内容创建者卢卡斯·弗特奇(Lucas Vrtech)has previously designed and3D printed a pair of low-cost finger tracking gloves用于虚拟现实。命名卢克idVR, the open-source gloves grant users the ability to precisely track their fingers without the use of dedicated VR controllers. Tallying up all of the component and filament costs, the LucidVR project cost Lucas just $22 ($11 per hand).

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特色图像显示组装的空隙开关。gif通过风险。

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