First UwU update - nice upgrade and current developments

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We’re thrilled with the campaign performance, and It’s going better than we had imagined, all thanks to you!

We’re still on schedule for production and are now heading towards the Design Validation Testing (DVT) which will have our first production model.
Furthermore, we already have a functional mockup of the UwU that has seen some action last week during WootUp V4, a Reddit post. And also used by me on Twitter. Even though it works, it doesn’t mean it’s ready. These mock-ups cost 400 USD to make. All these parts are made by CNC’ing, silicone molds, and laser cut. Not great for mass production. The mockup and PCBA are used to verify the mechanical structure, electronic design, and some preliminary test. Once these are confirmed, we can go over to opening the molds for mass production.

There are still 2 pending issues:

1. The light bar isn’t perfect and can be improved. There’s an updated design heading my way for verification.
2. The silicone buttons at the front of the device are too stiff and hard to press due to a mechanical blockage. There’s an updated button design also heading my way.
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These type of issues eat into the timeline, requiring rounds of samples, shipping, and approval, but are equally important to avoid even larger issues in the future.Then there are other items that still need approval and are also heading my way, such as the:

1. Travel case for the UwU RGB
2. Brass bottom case
3. Alternative cable design

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Feedback change‍

The great thing about launching the UwU around this phase is that we can still make minor changes to the product. Based on the comments on the page and feedback in Discord, we heard that some people like to use the ligher switches (Lekker L45) and other the medium switches (Lekker L60). That’s why we’re going to exchange the 1x spare Lekker L45 to 3x Lekker L60. This means the UwU comes pre-installed with the L45 switches and you will receive additional 3x L60 switches, this way you can choose what you prefer (though you do need a switch puller to swap).

If you have more feedback, you’re welcome to let us know, I and the team are all listening.

‍Collector keycaps

‍I also received the first draft design of the collector keycaps from prominent members of the osu! community. These were made preemptively so we could see what the limitations and quality would be of the supplier and dye process. Thankfully they came out better than expected.Two issues were identified that needs adjustments:

1. When the design is too small, the colors will mix and blur.
2. Same design, different dye print quality.
3. We’ll need to monitor this closely for quality control.

In the next update, I’ll share the background story of the UwU, how it started up to where we are now. The next, next update will cover more samples and progress!

<3

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