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Guys check this link..
keyboard
isn't it amazing?
 
mister krabs
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That is cool!
 
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This type of input devices combined with an image projection (holographic, may be) will make laptops a pleasure to carry around - just a small box!!
 
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But how does it really work. Your fingers are constantly moving through the light so how does it determine if you really meant to use the key or your hand mearly strayed too long.
 
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I think it must be, some how finding that fingers are being stroked on the keyboard reflection and not simply resting ..
just an intelligent guess
Now dont ask me HOW ??
 
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According the news, "Beams of light, which detect the user's movements, make up the keyboard."
That sounds more like a camera thing to me. Otherwise, it will be pretty hard. Different people has different habit when it come to typing. And when you complete a stroke, your finger didn't move away, perhaps still stay above some keys. Besides, the use of shift key, capital letter,...it is pretty hard for laser beam alone.
 
Anonymous
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With all the respect to this invention, I don't think this invention is very practical, at least right now. Reasons:
1) The light has to be strong enough;
2) You have to find a flat, keyboard-sized, light-colored area and to put the light source properly, to set up your keyboard. Sometimes, it is just even harder, like in airplane;
3) Each time you face a different key board, it is not good for typing speed and accuracy;
..........................
 
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Looks very cool.
But how does it really work. Your fingers are constantly moving through the light so how does it determine if you really meant to use the key or your hand mearly strayed too long.
Triangulation perhaps? I imagine the basic idea is similar to the laser scanners we see in most all grocery stores now. And if you have two scanners, you can more completely determine the position of the fingers at any instant - including height. There's probably some margin for error, particularly in the first release, but the idea is at least theoretically viable.
Looking at the picture again, it seems a little unlikely there are two lasers. Though there might be one laser and two sensors catching the reflected light. Even with only one laser and scanner, the whole thing seems feasible. From the sensor's point of view, you look for downward movements of the fingers, and identify the lowest point in each movement. Assume that at that point the user is actually hitting the key they want. Those users who are in the habit of hovering their fingers close over other keys will just learn not to do that.
Seriously, it doesn't look like the device requires you to keep your fingers too far from the keyboard to avoid confusion. Note that the height of the projector is rather small, and the angle formed between the projected light and the tabletop is small as well. As long as you stay out of the projected light when you're not actually typing something, no problem. If you don't - well, it depends how good the software for interpreting results is.
With all the respect to this invention, I don't think this invention is very practical, at least right now. Reasons:
1) The light has to be strong enough;
I doubt that's much of an issue - it's a laser. (Or multiple lasers.) They can be quite bright, on just about any surface. Probably there should be a brightness control though, as for a laptop you don't want to use extra power unless you need to.
2) You have to find a flat, keyboard-sized, light-colored area and to put the light source properly, to set up your keyboard. Sometimes, it is just even harder, like in airplane;
Broad, flat surfaces are not that uncommon really. Typically we call them tabletops. Sometimes this is not practical, true, as on an airplane for example. But I suspect you could even use a book if you needed to - a mass-market paperback mich be too small, but most hardcovers would be OK. Positioning the projector correctly (and keeping it there) may be difficult. Perhaps they could sell some sort of clip-plus-extension-arm which you could use to attach the projector to a small surface like a book.

As discussed above, the color of the surface is not really much of an issue. Dark would be fine. The worst sort of surface, visually, would probably be a multicolored surface (like many book covers) but again, I suspect this would work OK if you turn the brightness up enough.
In general, I suspect his device won't appeal that much to those who like to use a laptop on their laptop. But many of us just like to be able to carry the computer around easily, and when we actually use it, it's on a table of some sort. For users like us, this keyboard seems pretty cool.
3) Each time you face a different key board, it is not good for typing speed and accuracy;
Yeah, that could be an issue to some extent. But many of us don't have such great typing speed anyway, and wouldn't notice the difference. Futhermore I think that again, if you're projecting the keyboard on a table top rather than a paperback or something, then one table top will be pretty much like another - and once you adapt to whatever quirks the keyboard may have on one surface, it will be much the same elsewhere.
[ December 04, 2002: Message edited by: Jim Yingst ]
 
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Hi Jim:
1) When I said "light has to be strong enough". I mean it has to be strong enough to your eyes comfort.
2) Yes, you can carry a white board with you anywhere, even a magzine. But how is it different from a keyboard anyway?
:roll:
 
Thomas Paul
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Originally posted by <Inventer to be>:
2) Yes, you can carry a white board with you anywhere, even a magzine. But how is it different from a keyboard anyway?
:roll:


I'm sitting at my desk and the most convenient place to write when I'm not using the computer is where this stupid keyboard is. This is great for people who don't have a lot of desk space. And there is a big difference between lugging around a full size keyboard and carrying that little box. The example shows using it with a PDA. PERFECT!!!
 
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I miss tactile-feedback on those old IBM keyboards. Drumming my fingers on some light doesn't sound nearly as satisfying an activity.
For space economy and ergonomic design, I think twiddlers are the edge of the world. Still haven't got around to using one full-time though.
 
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Originally posted by Michael Ernest:
I miss tactile-feedback on those old IBM keyboards. Drumming my fingers on some light doesn't sound nearly as satisfying an activity.
For space economy and ergonomic design, I think twiddlers are the edge of the world. Still haven't got around to using one full-time though.


I agree.. nothing to beat that feel of pushing the keys and getting things done..
somehow, sometime, ppl will forget the goodness of these keyboards..
I wish the invention was for a foldable keyboard rather than some starry disco lights playing around..
When researchers havent quite finished finding everything about light, I sure am not about to trust them.
More so, one issue remains.. even in trangulation tech to find the key pressed..
The effect of surrounding light is gonna muck around for sure.
Lupo
 
Jim Yingst
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The effect of surrounding light is gonna muck around for sure.
Not really, IMO - the light from a laser is all one frequency, and it's relatively easy to filter out light from other frequencies (unless it's very close to the target frequency). As long as other people aren't projecting lasers of their own onto the same space you're using, it shouldn't be a problem.
 
gautham kasinath
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I wonder..
 
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Sounds intresting although it will freak me out on the cancer threat.
I think corporal tunnel syndrome is more manageable
 
Jim Yingst
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Eh? What (which) cancer threat? It's hard to keep track of all the things that appear to cause it after all...
As for CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome), I expect that's an issue with this new product as well - at least as much as it is for a regular keyboard. And I'd also agree that a real keyboard would likely provide a better tactile experience overall. I still wanna try one of these though...
 
sunil g nair
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is that what u call it.....cst
and u r right the cancer is above and over the cst scare.
And right about anything can cause cancer....from last count.....like the old saying too much of anything is bad....even good old water can drown you.
 
Jim Yingst
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is that what u call it.....cst
No, it's CTS.
and u r right the cancer is above and over the cst scare.
No, I said nothing like that. I was asking you what you're talking about. I know of no specific cancer threat associated with these new keyboards (though that could just be because I don't pay attention to all the reasearch out there). Unless you explain what you're talking about, I'm assuming there isn't any cancer threat from these things.
 
Thomas Paul
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What kind of cancer would this keyboard cause? Fingernail cancer?
 
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