Split Keyboard Build

I was only able to record 1/3 of the process, as the phone ran out of storage & I was too indulged in making the keyboard.

Why build it

For fun

I have always loved to build stuff, be it in a computer or the real world. What could be more fun than building the interface between the two. I get to write firmware in C and solder a raspberry pi microcontroller, incredible stuff.

For work

When I started to learn programming, I forced myself to learn touch typing, believing that a good programmer must be able to type fast. Now I know that it is not true, since we spend more time contemplating than typing. Yet, in my naivity, I would put in hours upon hours after my day job to touch type. Unbeknownst to me, this single practice would fruit many rewards later. First of which, as I neared the speed of thought in typing, I developed love for writing. I had been loathful of handwriting but now with this new skill, I found an outlet for my thoughts.
Within my first year of programming, I was introduced to vim. This trivial exposure played a major role in my obsession with programming. Vim motion allows you to navigate & edit entirely with the keyboard. Once you get past the initial discomfort, that learning any novel skill would entail, something magical happens. The editor feels like an extension of yourself, you don’t have to think about the movement, it just happens. The spell is so enthralling that I wanted vim everywhere, browser, spreadsheets, docs.
As my workflow became increasingly keyboard-centric, I found myself in need of a mechanical keyboard. Precision of keystroke & lighter keypress are cited as significant benefits of mechanical keyboard above membrane keyboard.

For health

Carpal tunnel syndrome is infamous among programmers. It is caused by prolonged internal rotation of wrists. Among the remedies, most impactful is considered using a split keyboard. The seperation of wrists offered by split keyboard prevents the internal rotation.