PRESENTATION

ON

VIRTUAL KEYBORD

TOPICS
INTRODUCTION QWERTY KEYBOARDS VIRTUAL KEYBOARD VIRTUAL KEYBOARD TECHNOLOGY VIRTUAL DEVICES DIFFERENT VIRTUAL KEYBOARDS ADVANTAGES DRAWBACKS APPLICATIONS CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION
Virtual Keyboard is just another example of todays computer trend of smaller and faster. Many alternate forms like speech recognition, hand writing recognition devices had come. The new virtual keyboard technology uses sensor technology and artificial intelligence to let users work on any surface as if it were a keyboard. The software and hardware part recognizes the typed characters and pass it to the computer. Virtual Keyboard, being a small, handy, well-designed and easy to use application, turns into a perfect solution for cross platform multilingual text input.

QWERTY KEYBOARDS
QWERTY is the most common keyboard layout on English-language computer and typewriter keyboards. INSIDE THE KEYBOARD The processor in a keyboard has to understand several things that are important to the utility of the keyboard, such as: Position of the key in the key matrix. The amount of bounce and how to filter it. The speed at which to transmit the typematics.

The microprocessor and controller circuitry of a keyboard.

A look at the key matrix.

VIRTUAL KEYBOARD
Virtual Keyboard is just another example of todays computer trend of "smaller and faster". Virtual Keyboard uses sensor technology and artificial intelligence to let users work on any surface as if it were a keyboard. Virtual Devices have developed a flashlight-size gadget that projects an image of a keyboard on any surface and lets people input data by typing on the image. The device detects movement when fingers are pressed down. Those movements are measured and the device accurately determines the intended keystrokes and translates them into text .

Virtual keyboard used in PDAs

The Virtual Keyboard uses light to project a full-sized computer keyboard onto almost any surface, and disappears when not in use. Used with Smart Phones and PDAs, it provides a practical way to do email, word processing and spreadsheet tasks, allowing the user to leave the laptop computer at home.

VIRTUAL KEYBOARD TECHNOLOGY

3. The pattern projector .

Sensor module:

The Sensor Module serves as the eyes of the Keyboard Perception technology . The Sensor Module operates by locating the user's fingers in 3-D space and tracking the intended keystrokes, or mouse movements.

IR-light source:

The Infrared Light Source emits a beam of infrared light . This light beam is designed to overlap the area on which the keyboard pattern projector or printed image resides. This helps in recognizing the hand movements and the pressing of keys .

The pattern projector:

The Pattern Projector or optional printed image presents the image of the keyboard or mouse zone of the system. This image can be projected on any flat surface. The projected image is that of a standard QWERTY keyboard, with all the keys and control functions as in the keyboard.

VIRTUAL DEVICES
For some input devices there is a complimentary form where they can also be displays. This is called input-output duality. Input/output duality is accomplished by designing two separate technologies into one integrated package. Recently a new class of device has started to emerge which is conceptually rooted in exploiting this input/output duality. They can be called Projection/Vision systems, and/or Projection/Scanning or Projection/Camera technologies.

HOW DOES IT WORKS

Projection Module A template is created of the desired interface and is projected onto the adjacent interface surface. This template is produced by illuminating a specially designed highly efficient holographic optical element with a red diode laser. Micro-illumination Module An infa-red plane of light is generated just above, and parallel to the interface surface. This light is invisible to the user and hovers a few millimeters above the surface. Sensor Module Reflected light from user interactions with the interface surface is passed through an infa-red filter and imaged onto a CMOS image sensor in the sensor module.

DIFFERENT VIRTUAL KEYBOARDS

Developer VKB

Siemens Procurement Logistics Services Rechargeable batteries similar to those in cell phones. As a Class 1 laser, the output power is below the level at which eye injury can occur.

Canesta

In the Canesta Keyboard the same laser is also used to scan the projection field and extract 3D data. They also have a chip set, Electronic Perception Technology, which they supply for 3rd parties to develop products using the projection/scanning technology.

Sense board Technologies

Here the image is not projected on to any surface. The Senseboard SB 04 technology is an extreme case of a hybrid approach. The sensing transducer is neither a laser scanner nor a camera. Rather, it is a bracelet-like transducer that is worn on the hands which captures hand and finger motion. Sensors made of a combination of rubber and plastic are attached to the user's palms in such a way that they do not interfere with finger motions.

KITTY
KITTY, an acronym for KeyboardIndependent Touch-Typing, is a Finger mounted keyboard that uses touch typing as a method of data entry.

InFocus
They do not use laser technology. This has that advantage of delivering high quality color images with a mature technology like video camera. It has the disadvantage of larger size, lower contrast, and higher power requirements, compared to laser projection systems.

ADVANTAGES
It can be projected on any surface or you can type in the plain air. It can be usefull in places like operation theaters where low noise is essential. The typing does not require a lot of force. So easing the strain on wrists and digits. The Virtual Keyboard is not restricted to the QWERTY touch-typing paradigm, adjustments can be done to the software to fit other touch-typing paradigms as well.

ADVANTAGES
No driver software necessary, It can be used as a plug and play device. High battery life. The standard coin-sized lithium battery lasts about eight months before needing to be replaced.

DRAWBACKS
Virtual keyboard is hard to get used to. Since it involves typing in thin air, it requires a little practice. Only people who are good at typing can use a virtual keyboard efficiently.] It is very costly ranging from 150 to 200 dollars. The room in which the projected keyboard is used should not be very bright so that the keyboard is properly visible.

APPLICATIONS
High-tech and industrial Sectors. Used with Smart phones, PDAs, email, word processing and spreadsheet tasks. As computer/PDA input. Gaming control. TV remote control

CONCLUSION
Projection key boards or virtual key boards claim to provide the convenience of compactness with the advantages of a full-blown QWERTY keyboard. The company's Virtual Keyboard is designed for anyone who's become frustrated with trying to put information into a handheld but doesn't want to carry a notebook computer around. Canesta appears to be the most advanced in this class of technology and the only one who is shipping product. Other products are KITTY, a finger-mounted keyboard for data entry into PDA's, Pocket PC's and Wearable Computers and KITTY, a finger-mounted keyboard for data entry into PDA's, Pocket PC's and Wearable Computers. Thus virtual keyboards will make typing easier, faster, and almost a pleasure.