[IC] ErgoDox Wireless (and Solar Powered)

[xudongz]

Update: Please see group buy post and product page.

I am doing an interest check for ErgoBlue 2, which is a wireless and solar powered version of the ErgoDox. If you are interested in building one, please fill out the interest check for a partially assembled kit.



You can take a look at my build blog post for more details. Note that the group buy variant will be much simpler to assemble; you'll need to solder headers, attach the battery, and solder the switches (or hot swap sockets).

Solar charging works well enough. The keyboard doesn't need direct sunlight but there should be be sunlight (and not artificial light) in the room. You can see the battery data for the first 3ish weeks.

- Build Album
- Assembly Video (group buy version will be easier to assemble)

Firmware

QMK unfortunately isn't supported currently but the keyboard works well with ZMK, a new firmware designed with Bluetooth in mind. One of its most notable features is that you can seamlessly switch between multiple devices. Check out the firmware page for details.

While it's not as easy to setup as QMK, it should be doable for most computer-savvy users. Take a look at the firmware setup video to get a sense of what the process is like.

Happy to answer any questions you may have.

[ycanales]

Very interested!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[powwu]

This is ****ing awesome. Solar powered? Crazy.

Only criticism is, this doesn't really seem like it's gauging interest. It's more as if it's getting the word out. I'll be keeping an eye on this

[tommyamoszhao]

have you tested how long can it work without charging?

[xudongz]

have you tested how long can it work without charging?

Excluding solar and with a USB dongle, a 400mAh battery should last somewhere between 6 and 18 months. Solar can improve that, potentially to the extend of never needing to charge. Obviously how effective it is will depend on the brightness of the room, number of hours of daylight, etc.

[MJGameSix]

Launch from Keydot Company showed the wired version last night on twitch. I’m very interested in the wireless form.

[CarcWithanM]

Any chance a carrying case for these could be made?

[xudongz]

Any chance a carrying case for these could be made?

Yes, there will be an official carrying case with foam cutouts. The carrying case will also fit a pair of wrist rests.

[CarcWithanM]

Any chance a carrying case for these could be made?

Yes, there will be an official carrying case with foam cutouts. The carrying case will also fit a pair of wrist rests.

The IC form isnt available is it too late for me?  super interested in this

[xudongz]

I closed the interest check about 2 weeks ago as I began to finalize the options. You can still subscribe to the mailing list to receive updates. The group buy will be announced in the next few days (both on the mailing list and Geekhack) and will officially start in a week or two.

[xudongz]

I figured that I would post an update here and mention that the group buy started about 2 weeks ago. Please see group buy post and product page.