Input devices

Input Devices

Amir Dotan - www.amirdotan.com

Input evolution

• As computers become smaller and ubiquitous
(everywhere and in everything), they can not grab
all of our attention (sitting in front of a screen)
and their size doesn’t allow us to use are fingers
to communicate with them
• Alternative input methods (speech, movement,
gazing) are considered as ways to make
computing less attention demanding and more
intuitive (Accessibility benefits)


Input evolution
• Punch cards
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Face recognition
• Facial expression
• Gaze / eye movement
• Touch / Multi-Touch
• Speech recognition
• Body movement (gestures)


Punch Cards


Text Entry Input - Keyboards
and Keypads
• The primary mode of textual data entry
• Keyboard size and packaging influences users
satisfaction and usability
• Large keyboards with many keys give an
impression of professionalism and complexity
but may deter novice users
• Small keyboards seem lacking in power to some
users, but their compact size is an attraction for
mobile devices


The QWERTY layout

• The most commonly used keyboard layout is the
QWERTY layout
• Also known as the Sholes keyboard, it was
invented by Christopher Sholes who invented the
typewriter in 1868
• His layout slowed down users enough that key
jamming was infrequent


Dvorak Layout (Schneiderman, 2005)

• Developed in the 1920’s, supposedly reduces
finger travel, thereby increasing the typing rate of
expert typists from about 150 words per minute
to more than 200 words per minute
• Acceptance of the Dvorak layout has been very
limited, despite the work of devotees
• People who have tried it report that it takes about
a week of regular typing to make the switch, but
most users have been unwilling to invest much
effort

Keyboard Layouts


The Keyboard


Alternative Ergonomic and
Adjustable Keyboards


Alternative Adjustable
Keyboard

Optimus Maximus keyboard - http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/


Keyboards and Keypads for
Mobile Devices

http://amirdotan.multiply.com/video/item/98/The_Evolution_of_Mobile_Phones_1985_-_Today


Keyboards and Keypads for
Mobile Devices
• Mobile-phone functionalities are increasing
considerably while their size is still shrinking
• Most devices combine normal static keys with
dynamically labelled softkeys whose functions
are dependent on status and context


Alternative Mobile Phone
Keypads

http://www.digitwireless.com Nokia 7600


Pointing Devices

• A device such as a mouse, trackball, or graphics
tablet that allows users to move a pointer about
on the workspace and point to graphical objects
• A direct-manipulation approach - No need to
learn commands or type, attention is focused on
the display
• Important for small devices and large wall
displays that make keyboards impractical as
input devices


Pointing Devices
• Direct control devices
– Lightpen
– Touchscreen (Single input point)
– Multitouch (Multiple and simultaneous input points)
– Stylus

• Indirect control devices
– Mouse
– Trackball
– Joystick
– Touchpad
– Trackpoint (for laptops)
– Graphics tablet

• Novel devices and strategies
– Foot controls
– Eye tracking
– DataGloves
– Tangible user interfaces
– Digital paper
– Haptic feedback


Criteria for Success (Schneiderman, 2005)

• Speed and accuracy
• Learning time
• Cost and reliability
• Size and weight


Direct-Control Pointing Device
- The Lightpen (MIT’s Sketchpad 1963)


- The Lightpen
• Had several disadvantages:
– Users’ arm got tired
– Users’ hand obscured part of the screen
– Users had to remove their hands from the
keyboard to pick up the lightpen
– The lightpen was too fragile for public-access
environments


- Touch Screen


- The Stylus


An Alternative to the Stylus -
Shift (Microsoft Research)

http://research.microsoft.com/users/baudisch/projects/shift/index.html

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kkoFlDArYks


Indirect-Control Pointing
Devices (Schneiderman, 2005)

• Eliminate the hand-fatigue and hand-obscuring-
the-screen problem
• They do however require the hand to locate the
device and demand more cognitive processing
and hand/eye coordination to bring the onscreen
cursor to the desired target
• Among the indirect pointing devices the mouse
has been the most popular


Pointing Device - The Mouse
On December 9, 1968 in San Francisco, Douglas Engelbart
presented for the first time the computer mouse

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1MPJZ6M52dI


Multi-Touch Input


- Multi-Touch Input

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9zGDNFpOMcA

http://amirdotan.multiply.com/video/item/56/iBar_-_Interactive_Bar_largest_multitouch_touchscreen


- Multi-Touch Input

http://amirdotan.multiply.com/video/item/47/Microsoft_Surface_Business_2.0_Demo


Touch Input Gestures


Touch Input - Considerations
(Windows Vista User Experience "Touch" guidelines)

• Small controls are difficult to use
– The size of the controls greatly affects your ability
to interact effectively. Controls that are at least
23x23 pixels are usable with a finger, but larger
controls of at least 40x40 pixels are even more
comfortable to use



• Task locality helps
– While you can move the pointer across a 14-inch
screen with a 3-inch mouse movement, using
touch requires you to move your hand the full 14
inches
– Repeatedly moving between targets that are far
apart can be tedious, so it's much better to keep
task interactions within the range of a resting hand
whenever possible
– Context menus are convenient because they
require no hand movement


• Hover must not be required
– Most touchscreen technologies don't detect a
hovering finger, even if they can detect a hovering
pen. If a program has tasks that depend on hover,
you won't be able to perform them efficiently using
touch



• Text input and selection are difficult
– Lengthy text input is especially difficult using
touch, so auto-completion and acceptable default
text values can really simplify tasks. Text selection
can also be quite difficult



• Small targets near the edge of the display can
be very difficult to touch
– Some touchscreen technologies are less sensitive
at the edges, making controls near the edge
harder to use. For example, the Minimize,
Maximize/Restore, and Close buttons on the title
bar can be harder to use when a window is
maximized


Basic Touch Design Principles

• Don't assume that if a UI works well for a mouse, it also works
well for touch
– While good mouse support is a start, a good touch experience has a
few additional requirements
• You can assume that if a UI works well for a finger, it also
works well for a pen
– Making your program touchable goes a long way to providing good pen
support. The primary difference is that fingers have a blunter tip, so
they need larger targets. And again, hover must be optional
• Don't depend on touch pointer to fix touch UI problems
– Because the touch pointer isn't as easy to use as direct input, view the
touch pointer as a last resort for programs that haven't been designed
for touch


Comparison of Pointing
Devices
• Each input device has its strengths and
weaknesses
• The keyboard is best for text input and giving
commands with minimal hand movement
• The mouse is best for efficient, precise pointing
• Touch is best for object manipulation and giving
simple commands
• A pen is best for freeform expression, as with
handwriting and drawing



• Early studies found that direct pointing devices
such as a lightpen or touchscreen were often the
fastest but the least accurate
• Studies have shown that the mouse is the more
accurate and efficient than alternative devices
• Users’ tasks matter when comparing devices
• Joysticks and trackball are often preferred over
mice by users with motor disabilities



• Pointing devices, especially indirect-control
devices such as the mouse, are particularly
challenging for users who have vision
impairments - Well designed cursors and
adjustable size and shape can help
• Alternative keyboard or keypad navigation
options should be provided whenever possible


Novel Devices (Schneiderman, 2005)

• The popularity of pointing devices and the quest
for new ways to engage diverse users for diverse
tasks has led to provocative innovations
• Since users’ hands might be busy on the
keyboard, designers have explored other
methods for selection and pointing
• In some cases, the device is too small or too big
to be used with a keyboard or a conventional
pointing device


Gestural Interface
• Head gestures
• Hand gestures
• Body gestures


Gestural Interface


Gestural Interface - Example

G-Speak http://vimeo.com/2229299



http://amirdotan.multiply.com/video/item/148/HITACHI_Gesture_operation_TV



http://amirdotan.multiply.com/video/item/83/Second_Life_gestural_interface_-_Navigation_Demo



http://amirdotan.multiply.com/video/item/80/ShadowReaching_New_Perspective_on_Wall_Display_Interaction


Imaging and Video Input
Device - Webcam Tracking

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GDINqY9kekU



http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7uixUmxH-Z0


Gestural Interfaces - Wii and
Wii Fit

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mCufArSg-SQ http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5oNVIcMnZh4


Wii Fit


Input - Using physical objects

http://amirdotan.multiply.com/video/item/101/reactable_basic_demo_


Eye tracking systems
• Our eyes are an essential output device with is
used to point to objects. We use it to
communicate to the world our intents (Eye
contact)
• Combined with head gesture, this method of
pointing can be a powerful communication
channel


Eye tracking - Example
• Squidoo EyeTracking
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilq9qeyVjT0


The future?
Gamers will soon be able to interact
with the virtual world using their
thoughts and emotions alone.

BBC NEWS 20.02.08
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technolo
gy/7254078.stm


Thought Control

http://amirdotan.multiply.com/video/item/81/Brainloop_-_Thought_Control


Speech and Auditory Input
(Schneiderman, 2005)

• Hardware designers have made dramatic
progress with speech recognition, generation,
and processing but current success are far from
achieving the results we see in Sci-Fi movies
• They also recognize that voice commanding is
more demanding of user’s working memory than
is hand/eye coordination and thus may be more
disruptive to users while they are carrying out
tasks


Speech and Auditory Input
(Schneiderman, 2005)

• Planning and problem solving can proceed in
parallel with hand/eye coordination, but they are
more difficult to accomplish while speaking
• Background noise and variations in users speech
performance make the challenge of speech
recognition still greater
• The benefits to people with certain disabilities
can be immense, but general users are not
rushing to implement speech input


Speech Systems -
Opportunities (Schneiderman, 2005)

• When users have vision impairments
• When the speaker’s hands are busy
• When mobility is required
• When the speaker’s eyes are occupied
• When harsh or cramped conditions preclude use
of a keyboard


Speech Systems -
Technologies (Schneiderman, 2005)

• Discrete-word recognition -
– Recognize individual words spoken by a specific
person
– 90%-98% reliable
– 100-10000-word or larger vocabularies
• Continuous-speech recognition


Speech recognition -
Examples

Flight Simulator Voice Recognition Speech recognition in Windows Vista
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZf9Ni6Qocc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9o72XJcFQI


Speech recognition -
Examples

Google Mobile App for iPhone, now with Voice Search
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=y3z7Tw1K17A


Input devices

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