MIT Student Releases Open-Source Modular Keyboard

Keybytes lets users build a keyboard from magnetically connected key modules, with project files published under an open license.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Quantum Computing

Compact modular keyboard built from magnetically clustered square key modules around a central controller on a grey workbench, with a soldering iron and printed enclosure parts beside it. — MIT student Nathan Alspaugh released Keybytes, an open-source magnetic modular keyboard whose design files are published on GitHub under an MIT license. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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MIT student Nathan Alspaugh has released Keybytes, an open-source magnetic modular keyboard project. Individual keys, called Keybits, connect to a central Keyword controller through magnetic connections.

Why it matters

The project makes custom keyboard construction accessible to hobbyists by publishing design files and construction details openly. Its modular approach allows builders to add or rearrange keys without rebuilding the entire board.

Each Keybit contains a RISC-V microcontroller and accommodates a Cherry MX mechanical switch, while the Keyword controller carries an Arm Cortex-M4, a Bluetooth antenna, and flash memory. The developer's $900 full-size build estimate has not been independently verified.

The players

Nathan Alspaugh

Alspaugh is an MIT student and the developer behind the open-source Keybytes keyboard project.

MIT

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the developer is enrolled.

The details

Keybits connect power and I2C communication through four-sided pogo pin connections and attach magnetically around the Keyword controller or alongside other modules. Builders must produce printed circuit boards, purchase components, solder, and print custom 3D-printed enclosures, and the Keyword provides USB-C connectivity and charging. Project files and design assets are published on GitHub under the MIT license.

Keybytes coverage was published by TechRadar on November 1, 2026.

The Tech Race

Keybytes adopts the Cherry MX mechanical switch footprint that has long defined enthusiast keyboards and extends it into a modular, magnetically connected design. The project places an open-source alternative alongside commercial custom keyboard makers that rely on fixed board layouts.

Hobbyists can download the design files from GitHub and build a custom keyboard, though assembly requires PCB production, soldering, and 3D printing. Users who prefer a finished product will still need to rely on commercial options.

The takeaway

Open-source hardware projects like Keybytes let builders modify and rebuild their own tools rather than depending on fixed commercial designs. Readers interested in custom keyboards can compare build costs before committing to a project.