VisorCentral.com - Senseboard "keyboard" -- WOW!!

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-- Senseboard "keyboard" -- WOW!! (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=19649)

Posted by Traveliter on 11-14-2001 10:59 PM:

Senseboard "keyboard" -- WOW!!

A friend of mine pointed me to a Web site for a keyboard called Senseboard. It is wild!

If any of you Visor Central staff folks are reading this, please go visit them at the Comdex booth at Booth L2539, the Swedish Pavilion. They say they will have a prototype there.

What's so amazing is that the thing looks like two little wrist pads you velcro onto your hand. That's it! I think it senses your finger movements, because it has NO ACTUAL KEYBOARD. The thing senses your hands as you type on a desktop or otherwise flat surface. Wow!

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Posted by miradu on 11-15-2001 02:36 AM:

We did go see it - on monday evening...

The device is still in like an EXTREME beta, and is right now hooked up to a box, and than serial onto a laptop. It apperaed to me that the demoer was having trouble - they wouldn't let us actually try.

The way it apepras to work, is it sences the up down motion - the bend in your fingers, and than decides where you pressed if their was a keyboard there. Eventually it will run on bluetooth - and intresting idea, maybe at CES we'll see it for real.

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Posted by PDAENVY on 11-15-2001 02:48 PM:

See this article for discussion about it. General consensus is that it'll never work for anyone except perfect touch-typists.

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Posted by Madkins007 on 11-15-2001 03:04 PM:

In my field (adaptive technologies/rehabilitation), this is an old idea- sense what the muscles are trying to do instead of what they are actually doing. The technology is pretty reliable in several instances.

I'd be willing to bet that the device is sensing the muscle movements of the back of the hand as well as (maybe) the orientation of the hand in space.

Touch-typing? Heck, print a keyboard layout on a bandanna and spread that on your lap or desk until you learn. They will need something like that to set you up right anyway.

I am sure the 'pre-beta' unit is still clunky, but if the idea catches on, the mature unit might be something as simple as a pair of self-adhesive pads connected to the unit by IR.

Practical? That will depend on a lot of issues. Personally, I really like Grafitti, but I can sure see the benefits of a perfectly silent keyboard.

Posted by PDAENVY on 11-15-2001 04:22 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by Madkins007
...Touch-typing? Heck, print a keyboard layout on a bandanna and spread that on your lap or desk until you learn. They will need something like that to set you up right anyway...

My point is that there are many people who are very effective with a keyboard but do not touch type and use the "wrong" fingers. In fact, I would wager that only data entry techs and secretaries use the "correct" fingers and they are not a big enough market segment to make this idea fly. I'm not arguing the capability of making a prototype that works well for professional typists - I'm arguing that it won't ever be a mass-market item the way graffitti is.

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Posted by creole on 11-15-2001 04:51 PM:

Plus, I don't know if I could use a keyboard that didn't give me feedback by way of keys.

It's a pretty cool idea though. I believe the idea is called negative feedback?

Posted by DingoFish on 11-15-2001 05:43 PM:

How bout a training session?

Seems to me that the problem with typist like me (fast, but with my own style) you could just have the device "learn" how you type. Just like speech recognition typing.

Aaron

Posted by Burns on 11-15-2001 05:43 PM:

quote:
PDAENVY wrote:
I would wager that only data entry techs and secretaries use the "correct" fingers and they are not a big enough market segment to make this idea fly.

I will have to heartily disagree with that. I would include programmers and Network admins in that list to. I am and know quite a few programmers that type faster than many secretaries, and do it with touch typing.

I see this thing as move forward in technology away from clunky hardware. I'm looking forward to the day that we can control computers in a Star Trek type fasion: Natural speach. Oh, and don't forget the handy little "do-it-all" handheld console

- Burns

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Posted by jradi on 11-21-2001 03:58 PM:

not worth it

I saw a picture of it - off that link on slashdot. I can't understand why you'd buy this thing. Even if it worked with blue tooth - even if it worked perfectly - 100% recognition - why is this better than the targus folding keyboard?

1. You still need a hard surface to type on
2. you need something to prop up the pda so you can see the screen
3. it's not that small - especially compared to the targus keyboard
4. no feedback - difficult to use for those keys you don't always use - I'm not great at numbers, and even worse on the special characters above them.

Anyone else? Maybe there's some sort of a special application that I'm missing here?

Posted by In Living Color on 11-26-2001 09:53 AM:

quote:
3. it's not that small - especially compared to the targus keyboard

I was feeling what you where saying until you got to number three. How can you say this new concepts isn't small compared to the targus keyboard. It's small compared to any keyboard being that it doesn't even have a board, or any keys for that matter.
What do you mean? Maybe you didn't click on the right link. here is the link to the products website: http://www.senseboard.com/products.htm
If they can actually perfect this technology, you may not need a completely flat surface, you may even be able to use our laps.
I have tried a couple of keyboards and just never liked the idea of having to carry them around with my handheld...mind as well keep lugging my laptop around. If they could get this thing to actually work to a level that I am comfortable with and the price is right, I would get it. Carrying to wrist bands around is lighter then a keyboard and more convenient or am I missing something.

Posted by donjaun on 11-27-2001 04:38 PM:

That is very hot and unique!

Posted by Travis on 11-27-2001 06:34 PM:

This is old technology!
Johnny Mnemonic used one years ago!
It was a virtual reality keyboard that did exactly what this one does.
Actually I would love to try this product. I'm a touch typist that would love to try "touchless".

Just image how you'd look. Talking to yourself (actually using your visorphone and earpiece mike) and typing on a keyboard that isn't there.

Then all we'll need is a device that will display the screen using heads up technology on my glasses!

One step closer to borg-dom. Resistance is futile!

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Posted by jradi on 11-29-2001 03:14 AM:

It's not that small

Ok, miradu2000, you actually saw it - so you can settle this.

I think the picture you see on that link is deceptive in MANY ways.

For starters - it's a concept image - and it doesn't sound like they're anywhere near that.

Second of all - what the picture hides - is the majority of the device is hidden underneath the hands - only a strap going across the top - which is what makes it look so small.

Lastly, and most importantly, even though it uses no keyboard at all - that doesn't mean it takes no space.

It needs batteries - for each hand - so stick a pair of AA batteries in the palm of each hand. A transmitter/reciever - blue tooth circuitry, circuitry to detect hand movement And finger movement...

When I said that it was bigger than a targus - I didn't mean bigger in actual use - who cares about size when you're sitting at a table or desk - I'm in love with the targus because it's slim and can fit in my jacket pocket - this thing looks bulky times two...

That's my point.

Even if it were $40 I wouldn't buy it (ok, maybe for $39 I'd cave in - just to show off...)

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