AM AFA R2 | Adjustable Flex Alice keyboard

Crazy Designers here. Today I want to share the next iteration of AM AFA: AM AFA R2. It brings the same ergonomic design and Three-Stage Adjustable Leaf-Spring Mount, and combines that with five new colorways and structural upgrades to the frame for easier disassembly. The center cover has also been upgraded to real glass.

IC form: https://forms.gle/oYi5cQQ728s7WWH49


What's new with R2?

• Five new colors: VF-19 ADV V2 (white/red), Cyber Cop (silver/black), Magic Forest (green/gold), Unit-01 (purple/green) and Pink Slayer (pink/green)
• Improved internal structure for easier disassembly. As a result, replacing switches and adjusting the gear position of the leaf springs requires significantly less steps (only 4 screws per side, instead of 24 screws with R1).
• The center mainboard protective cover has been upgraded to real glass, which offers a higher degree of scratch and wear resistance (was acrylic on R1, R1 can be upgraded to R2's glass cover).
• Tap Dance for greater utility and flexibility of the up arrow key. Short press the up arrow key to use it normally or perform a long press to activate the right shift.
• Removed the panel gap on the left and right side key housings.
• Potential 2.4G support. A 2.4G receiver may be offered as a separate add-on in the future.

Details

Keyboard inclination angle: 6.5°
Tenting angle: 5.0°
CMF: aluminum body with stainless steel front panel
Mounting method: Adjustable Leaf-Spring Mount (three-stage adjustable flex, 18 typing combos)
Plate: POM plate
LEDs: PCB lighting, in-switch RGB LEDs
PCB: 1.2mm 4-layer hotswap PCB with cutouts, with left and right side separated, PCB lighting and in-switch LEDs configurable via Angry Miao DIY site
Connection: Bluetooth 5.1 / wired (USB Type-C, supports C to C)
Dimensions: 445.7*156.5*56.5mm (front height: 22.5-36mm)
Weight: Base Kit 2.00kg, Bundle 2.25kg
Battery: lithium polymer 5000mAh *2, 10000mAh, supports wireless charging
Layout:


Vendors

Pre-order: August 29, 2023 at 8:00 PM (PDT) on Angry Miao Shopify
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 (Base Kit only) - 8pm Aug. 31 (PDT)
Europe: Keygem (Base Kit only) - Aug. 31
United Kingdom: Prototypist (Base Kit only) - 9am Sep. 1 (BST)
South Korea: Swagkeys (Base Kit and Bundle) - 8pm Sep. 1 (GMT+9)
Malaysia: Mecha Store (Base Kit and Bundle) - 11am Sep. 1 (GMT+8)
Singapore: iLumkb (Base Kit and Bundle) - 11am Sep. 1 (GMT+8)
Vietnam: Mechkey (Base Kit and Bundle) - 9am Sep. 1 (GMT+7)
Australia: Scorptec Computers (Base Kit and Bundle) - Sep. 1
Thailand: NTCH Keys (Base Kit and Bundle) - 12pm Sep. 2 (GMT+7)
Philippines: Jaekeyed (Base Kit only) - Sep 1


Design


Inspired by the Macross VF-19 variable fighter, AM AFA R2 incorporates the best features of the Alice keyboard layout, key tenting, and the forward swept wings of the VF-19, making the keyboard appear like a giant pair of wings. Unnecessary parts are minimized for maximum lightness. The center cover is crafted from real glass, for improved scratch and wear resistance.







Adjustable Leaf Spring


Inspired by coilover suspension seen on modified cars, adjustable leaf spring mount allows you to modify keyboard flex for a total 18 different typing combos.


Two different types of leaf springs are provided with AFA R2: phosphorus copper (for a softer typing feel) and stainless steel (for a harder typing feel). The leaf springs provide 3 stages of hardness adjustments, with respective adjustment levels of 3.5mm, 2mm and 0.5mm. To provide three different types of feel, PORON pads with different thicknesses are provided with the keyboard.

Aside from adjusting the 3 leaf spring gears from soft to hard, rebound stiffness can be adjusted by switching between the two different leaf-spring materials: phosphorus copper and stainless steel. In addition, conventional adjustment solutions, such as two sets of adjustment pads and an additional set of bottom pads, are also provided for mixing and matching. The firmest typing feel can be achieved through adding all the pads. Removing all the pads results in the softest feel and touch.



Craftsmanship


The keyboard case is crafted using 3+2 axis CNC machinery, and includes one hour of manual polishing. Its body weighs 1.4 kg, down 30% from the 2 kg aluminum block it's crafted from. Redundant parts are removed, and wireless charging is integrated into the body. The use of 36-nozzle sandblasting machines combined with high quality anodized paint finishes makes AM AFA R2 amazing to the touch.


The center mainboard protective cover has been upgraded to real glass, which offers a higher degree of scratch and wear resistance (was acrylic on R1, R1 can be upgraded to R2's glass cover).


PCB


The left and right sides of AM AFA R2 are fully split, with a separate PCB and plate for each side. We chose 1.2mm 4-layer hotswap PCB with cutouts as this allows for a satisfying amount of flex when combined with the leaf springs.


Of course, you can fully customize the keyboard LEDs through our website. Key remapping is also supported.



Hover


AM AFA R2 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 R2. And at the same time, they add a new dimension of flexibility to your wrist. A pair of Hover wrist rests will be included free of charge with each keyboard.

Availability

AM AFA R2 will be available on August 29, 2023 at 8 PM (PDT) on Angry Miao's official Shopify. It will be priced at 680 USD for the Base Kit (barebone keyboard only) and 795 USD for the Bundle (includes switches and keycaps)