AM AFA by Angry Miao
Crazy Designers here. It took a lot of effort to get to this point but here it is: AM AFA, the world's first keyboard with three-stage Adjustable Leaf-Spring Mount. Earlier on, we talked a bit about this keyboard before (it was called AM AGA (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=118189.0) back then), but here it is in its final form.
IC Form: https://forms.gle/JTbYzdY9qioN8rce7
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Details
Keyboard Inclination Angle: 6.5°
Tenting Angle: 5.0°
Material: aluminum body with stainless steel front panel, anodized / electrophoretic / baked paint
Mounting method: Adjustable Leaf-Spring Mount (three-stage adjustable flex, 18 typing combos)
Plate: POM plate (FR4 optional)
LEDs: PCB lighting, in-switch RGB LEDs
PCB: 1.2mm 4-layer hotswap PCB with cutouts, with left and right side separated, PCB lighting, in-switch LEDs and key layout configurable via Angry Miao DIY site
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, wired (USB Type-C, supports C to C), wireless charging
Dimensions: 445.7*156.5*56.5mm (front height: 22.5-36mm)
Weight: Base Kit 2.00kg, Bundle 2.25kg
Layout:
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Vendors
Pre-order: November 1, 2022 at 9:00 AM PDT on angrymiao.com (http://angrymiao.com) (estimated shipping date mid to late December)
Price: Base Kit 680 USD, Bundle 795 USD
Also available through the following vendors, sale date and shipping date is subject to vendor's separate notification.
- United States: Space Cables (https://spaceholdings.net/)
- Europe: Mykeyboard (https://mykeyboard.eu/)
- United Kingdom: Prototypist (https://prototypist.net/)
- Oceania: Custom KBD (https://customkbd.com/)
- Singapore: iLumkb (https://ilumkb.com/)
- South Korea: Swagkeys (https://www.swagkey.kr/)
- Japan: Yushakobo (https://shop.yushakobo.jp/)
- Vietnam: Mechkey Store (https://mechkey.store/)
- Thailand: NTCH Keys (https://www.facebook.com/NTCHKeys)
- Philippines: Zion Studios (https://zionstudios.ph/)
Inspired by Macross Plus VF-19
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Macross is one of our favorite animes, and we're especially fans of the VF-series variable fighters designed by Masaharu Kawamori. The VF-19, a fighter with a forward-swept wing design, is where AM AFA takes its inspiration from. With 4 unique colorways and a hollow aluminum frame crafted using 5-axis CNC, AM AFA takes design, construction and craftsmanship to the next level.
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VF-19 Advance - inspired by the VF-19 Advance variable fighter from Macross.
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The Dark Night - inspired by Batman.
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Ranger - inspired by Ranger, the futuristic sci-fi spaceship from the movie Interstellar.
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Velocity - inspired by the Bertone Stratos B A X concept car design from Hollywood-based concept designer Shane Baxley.
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AM AFA uses a hollow metal frame crafted using 5-axis CNC high-precision machinery. Hollowing out its metal frame takes more than 7 hours. Its smooth edges are carefully cut and polished. Combined with 2-hour manual grinding and sandblasting of each single piece, AM AFA's sophisticated craftsmanship adds a soft touch to its sharp appearance.
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Gradually taking shape from a whole block of aluminum alloy - forming the metal frame takes over 9 hours.
First keyboard with three-stage adjustable flex
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Everyone's preference is different when it comes to keyboard flex. Some prefer soft, some prefer hard. And for some users, their preference will change over time. While often this would be an excuse to go out and buy a new keyboard, this is no longer the case with AM AFA's three-stage Adjustable Leaf-Spring Mount.
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While developing our three-stage Adjustable Leaf-Spring Mount, we looked at the automotive industry, who has already figured it out. Öhlins Height Adjustable Coilovers, such as those found on the BMW M6 GT3, feature rebound adjustment in two directions, which we also aimed for with AM AFA.
AM AFA comes with 2 kinds of leaf-springs, 3 adjustable "Gears" each, and 3 ways to use pads, allowing for a total of 18 typing combos. The extend of the rebound can be modified by adjusting the position of the rubber stopper under the leaf-spring, providing three distinct types of feel through the use of "Gears". Their respective adjustment levels are 3.5mm, 2mm and 0.5mm.
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We also provide the possibility to adjust rebound strength, through the use of two different leaf-spring materials, namely phosphorus copper and stainless steel, which are included in the box. This increases the total amount of typing combos to 18.
Two separate keyboards combined into one
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One big advantage of Alice is that we take advantage of its layout to separate the PCB and plate. The smaller the area, the easier it is to achieve a consistent and stable feel. Therefore, we fully separated the PCBs from the mainboard. They're exactly the same size on both sides, so that we can achieve a unified feel.
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We take this one step further by creating two separate "key boxes". This basically means that AM AFA consists of two individual keyboards. Each key box contains a PCB, plate, adjustable leaf-springs and pads.
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Everything that's unrelated to feel and typing sound has been removed from the key boxes, such as the mainboard, battery and wireless charging coil.
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Custom RGB lighting and keymaps
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AM AFA lights up much like how an aircraft lights up the runway. Of course, in-switch LEDs are also present. With full customization support on our DIY site.
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Key remapping is also supported with AM AFA. Create your own custom keymaps through Angry Miao's DIY site. All keys can be edited except the FN key!
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Of course, we're aware you would like to see QMK/VIA compatibility. We would like to see it too! But the reality is, QMK doesn't support high-performance Bluetooth connectivity. That's why we developed our own Bluetooth control system based on Nordic Semiconductor's Bluetooth module. Unfortunately, VIA is closed source and therefore there's no way to modify it to be able to take advantage of our improved Bluetooth system.
But we do hear your voice. In the near future we are planning to develop a native desktop application similar to VIA to replace the current DIY remapping web tool.
Hover
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AM AFA is relatively high on the front, which means it's best used in combination with a wrist rest. That's why we came up with Hover, an ergonomic maglev wrist rest, which perfectly matches the front height of AM AFA. And at the same time, they add a new dimension of flexibility to your wrist.
We're looking forward to hear what you think in the comments and IC form. See you on November 1, 2022 at 9:00 AM PDT!