HP Labs India

HP’s Input Device Enables Vernacular Language Users

efytimes.com
March 15, 2006

The low-cost solution, gesture-based keyboard allows the Kannada script to be recorded and stored directly on the computer.

Taking computer literacy beyond the prevailing English-speaking computer users, HP India has launched a path-breaking innovation that could revolutionise communication in Indian scripts. The gesture-based keyboard (GKB) developed by researchers at HP Labs India, is a small, light-weight device (smaller than a mouse pad) with a stylus-sensitive keypad that supports tapping and comes along with a pen.

The 'gesture keyboard' concept is based on partial hand writing recognition as well as touch-typing paradigms. All that the user needs to do is tap on the consonant to get the base consonants and has to draw the `matras' over the character key using the pen. The software recognises the handwritten matras using handwriting recognition methods.

It is radically different from the keyboard as the letters (consonants) are arranged alphabetically on GKB and require only phonetic modifiers. This effectively means that the device can be used by anyone who doesn’t know English and can not type. The device also helps shorten writing time for novice users of computers.

Commenting during the launch of GKB, Dick Lampman, HP senior vice president, research, and director, HP Labs, said, “The gesture-based keyboard can help bridge the digital divide by simplifying the use of IT. HP Labs India is working on a wide range of other new information and communications technologies for India and other rapidly growing markets by understanding relevant social, cultural, economic and technological drivers."

Ajay Gupta, lab director and director, mobility solutions, HP Labs India, said, “GKB holds the potential for Indian languages derived from Devanagari and Tamil scripts to be used in a similar manner. The potential users could be the remaining 90 per cent of the non-English speaking population, including Indian, Nepalese, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi and other phonetic script users.”

In addition to text, GKB can also be used as a mouse, although it can be used in addition to your existing keyboard and mouse. The gesture key board allows the capture of signatures, pictures and other visual elements. This feature holds the potential application of creating and storing notes and images in any language as bitmaps. GKB can be used with a Windows machine as well as Linux-based machine.

The device is expected to be manufactured and distributed by a third party, based on technology licenced from HP. According to HP, this low-cost device is expected to be in the range of Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 and is likely to hit the market by the end of this month.

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