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E-mail me at: glancingpad@gmail.com
Despite the rapid advances in computer technology in recent years, our communication with our systems remains inefficient and antiquated. While keyboards and mice keep us glued to our screens at all times, Blackberries, cell phones, and PDAs make ergonomic nightmares worse.
Can advancements in communication technology be impeded by biological or technological barriers?
There is a great need for new ways to communicate with the emerging digital universe. With the i-phone setting the trend, gestures are now in vogue. This project, however, goes beyond simple gesture navigation. This technology is ideal for mobile computers and communication devices - already ahead of gesturing - and is ideal for data entry.
The Glancing Pad is more than just an improvement over existing keypads, touch screens, or gestures, it is an entirely new concept. As with any keyboard, it is designed for text input, except that it can be operated with one hand. There are no keys to punch: THERE ARE NONE.
Simple fingertip motions over a plain surface generate data.
With recent developments in neuro-technology, it is possible that we may one day communicate with the help of a brain implant. Before such a future materializes, we'll find a new way to express ourselves - by glancing.
The primary means of interpersonal communication will always be speech. Speech interfaces to the digital domain are not easy: Due to the difference in pronunciations, accents, dialects, and languages, it varies with each individual. Despite those limitations, many industry experts believe strongly in the future of speech recognition, and turn a blind eye to alternatives. It's a big mistake they're making.
As intuitive and effortless as speech, glancing can even be considered its twin. A person's speech is produced by muscular activity of the vocal apparatus controlled by the language area of the brain. Glancing uses the same circuitry, but diverts the output to muscles in the hand instead. Using Glance-Pad may be as easy and natural as learning to talk due to the anatomical and functional similarities between these brain operations, and when mastered glancing may be as simple and efficient as speaking.
The simplicity and efficiency of glancing and speech makes these communication methods stand out from other media, such as typing or sign language, for example, which are merely crude communication devices that require slow and excessively powerful motions to encode letters and other symbols. In contrast, glancing requires only tiny finger movements to produce high speed communication and consumes far less energy, resulting in far less fatigue and tissue damage.
The unique design of Glancing Pad allows for speed unattainable with many bi-manual or uni-manual keyboards, especially chording keyboards. Among the basic strengths that set Glancing Pad apart from other interfaces are:
The first is free-ranged motions, which are self-referenced (not keyed);
Secondly, motions designed to generate rudimentary symbols directly;
In addition, the motions must be biomechanically natural;
The fourth is ergonomically sound motions. The small range makes glancing extremely fast and efficient because there is no need to reposition fingers before every new symbol.
Glancing dramatically expands the range of hand movements that can be encoded. By integrating glancing, chording, and gesturing, communication with computers will become much more efficient and convenient in the future.
A Glancing Pad as an autonomous universal personal communication device
Consider this: every microprocessor-controlled device doesn't need a built-in data input interface. Users would instead carry a universal data input device in their pockets or attached to their clothing within easy reach.
This role is ideal for Glancing Pad, as it is designed to be used independently of the devices it controls, and it has features unmatched by any other device today - it is incredibly simple to use and extremely fast.
Everyone, everywhere, all the time, carries Glancing Pad around with them. A Glancing Pad can be used to open doors, communicate with computers at work, or wearable computers on the go, write a report or lengthy memoir, control audio and video equipment, a cell phone, a game box, security circuits, car electronics, a robot, home automation, and so on. Any device that is capable of receiving the standardized control input from the pad would be able to use it. An example would be a TV remote control -- operated without sight, universally applicable, with secure data encryption, and owned by the owner alone. Imagine having a keypad in your pocket. Freedom comes to mind.
The following texts examine the entire concept in detail. Technical documentation is available under U.S. Patent Number: 7,038,659. Any comment would greatly appreciate, either criticism and corrections as well as encouragement and advice. My email address is:
glancinlgpad@gmail.com
Summary
Summary
The Glancing-Pad is a device that generates symbols that are primarily used for communicating with computers, writing, and generating speech. The user performs a set of predetermined glancing motions over and onto a pad that can track the position and touch of each finger. Simple mental templates guide encoding motions, which result in finger motions that conform to the biomechanical capabilities of the hand and feel "natural" and "effortless." A user intuitively follows this motion template with a finger, which results in an unrestricted-but-unique trajectory, which Glancing-Pad detects and decodes. A pattern can be distinguished by the way that the user approaches and touches the screen while glancing at it. Each finger encodes a different set of symbols based on its glancing pattern. As successive symbols are encoded, fluid, continuous finger movements are reminiscent of tickling movements. Glancing motions are scalable and may occur anywhere within Glancing-Pad's boundaries. Due to its short range and swiftness of movements, glancing provides single-handed operation with better encoding agility than standard two-handed keyboard operation, as well as superior ergonomics.
Exactly how does it work?
Glancing-Pad tracks discrete glancing motions of four fingertips over the pad surface. Encoding can be done anywhere within the pad boundary, regardless of the device's configuration (no keys to press).
A simple, inexpensive, and easy-to-use device is available.
No force is applied, just wiggly finger motions and gentle touches. Although the animation on the right appears to exaggerate vertical punches, each motion has a substantial horizontal component. During each glance, a glide above (pad parallel motion) is combined with a touch of the pad. The motion range may be as broad as required by the condition, but scaling down the motion range will increase the speed and efficiency of encoding. As a result of improved motion efficiency, glancing-pads offer immense gains in performance.
The encoding rule
Glancing is an easy motion that involves moving fingertips along the side of an imaginary rectangle, to indicate the side and direction. The decoder assigns a symbol to a segment indicating the side of the motion track.
In Glancing Pad operation, touch plays a crucial, and double, role. When touch generates symbols, the sensory apparatus in the hand feeds back information about the touch to the brain. With such information, the motion trajectory and distance at which each finger glides above the pad can be adjusted precisely. As a result, hand motions actuate the device as well as make us feel the action.
Tracking the motion of two fingers
(This example illustrates how three symbols are encoded)
The motions traced on the right occur synchronously. Both motion traces are similar, and touch 2 of finger 2 follows touch 1 and precedes touch 3 of finger 1.
Practice reduces the initially broad glancing motion to a mini-glance, increasing the speed of encoding (shorter motions are faster).
The pad may detect a small contrasted dot at each fingertip to reliably trace such diminutive motions; pudgy fingers are no problem!
Glances are assigned symbols
Because the ultimate standards of symbol assignment will emerge through experience, the letters of the alphabet were assigned to glances in the simplest, most orderly manner.
Standards and rules of encoding should not be excessively strict; they should reflect individual styles and preferences. The Glancing Pad will be a tool that is uniquely personalized.
Glancing-Pad at a Glance
Invention: FOUR-FINGER SCRIBBLE (yes, glancing is a form of handwriting -- assisted by digital technology)
Here are some facts to consider:
Pen, paper and a flat, steady surface are required for handwriting;
Using a keyboard requires sturdy support, a seated position, and the device within reach of both hands, producing repetitive motion injuries;
Chord devices are slow, mainly electromechanical, cumbersome, difficult to learn, and hard on the hands;
Speech recognition has interpretation problems, is awkward, slow, and fails in noisy environments. All of these devices are slow, unreliable, or unergonomic.
Here are some facts to consider:
To date, Glancing-Pad is the most effective human-computer interface
In a nutshell, Glancing-Pad is radically new, innovative, and unlike anything anyone has ever seen before.
One hand operation is possible with the Glancing-Pad
GlanceingPad is easy, natural, and second nature
Fun, easy, and fast training with Glancing-Pad
GlanceingPad is great for gaming
It is fast, fluid, reliable, ergonomic, unobtrusive, silent, and aesthetically pleasing
Glancing-Pad works almost anywhere
It's the perfect companion for wearable computers
It unlocks the only encoding scheme that challenges speech's speed-of-thought
Paperless society can be achieved faster with glancing pad
A must-have tool and the latest fashion item, the Glancing-Pad will become iconic
The Glancing-Pad will be as ubiquitous as Coca-Cola and iPods!
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