Laser Technology Device Competes with Traditional Keyboards

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.corporatemedianews.com/2004/01_jan/news/cw_ibiz_laserkeys.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.corporatemedianews.com/2...z_laserkeys.htm</a><br /><br /></div>"iBIZ Technology Corp. announced it is positioning its Virtual Keyboard device in retail markets to compete with traditional keyboards. Once available in consumer outlets, iBIZ anticipates sales to exceed 100K units a month. iBIZ notes that traditional keyboards are known to wear out and fail from overuse but the Virtual Keyboard is not susceptible to the same type of abuse."<br /><br />Looks like this is shaping up to be a very popular accessory!

[JustinGTP]

Okay - sounds good. But, how can the laser technology go through your fingers? Wouldn't the red laser light shine on your fingers? Your hands would create a shadow and you wouldnt be able to see what you are typing anyways. The picture is a photoshop mockup, you can definitely see that.

I dont really see this type of technology coming out for a while now because of the simple point that I just said. If the light goes through you hands - I would be wary of tissue damage etc. Also - this is probably a fad to make everyone want one etc. etc.

Also - when you shine the light onto a flat surface like the picture they show, the red keyboard would have to be in perspective, which it is not. Also, the only thing that is real on the table is the laser keyboard projector. Even the Palm Pilot is a squished image that has no sense of 3D. How do people believe this stuff?

Well -I don't see how this can be feasable - can anyone explain to me how this works? :|

-Justin.

[silentmuse]

I tried this device at the CES earlier this month. IMHO it isn't anything like ready for primetime. I'm a reasonably fast typer, 60 wpm or so, and I had a difficult time punching out "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy cow". It was innacurate and unreliable. 60% of the time punching the wrong letter or punching two letters instead of one, sometimes simply not punching anything at all when I hit a key.

The only way I could get even vaguely reasonable results from it was to clasp both hands into a fist with my index finger sticking out and keep the hands well away from the table top, finger poking the keys with a big motion beginning from well off the table top.

Great idea, I'd give it a few more years research before trying that one again, though...

Paul

[JustinGTP]

silentmuse,

did you see the actual keyboard on the table? This is some crazy stuff! :?

[silentmuse]

Oh yeah, it looks just like what you see in the photos. The device actually projects the keyboard onto the table via laser, and it even gets the angle of perspective pretty much right. It sure looks pretty.

It just doesn't work very well....

Paul

[dmacburry2003]

I agree with the Honda. Actually, I was thinking the same thing the other day. How could laser shine through your fingers? Maybe a fiber optic keyboard would be better. Ex. take out the inside of a keyboard (the plastic sheet part) and put some fiber optics running from a box to the little dots on the key-sheet. Then it would be like totally the same.

It is a good idea though. I have a hard enough time trying to get my IR keyboard to stay straight and not wobble.

Edit: The fiber optic keyboard would also be flexible, durable, and portable. Maybe I will invent it.

[jnunn]

Seriously, who actually LOOKS at the keyboard when they write. My keyboard has the majority of the letters rubbed off of the keys from wear(computer/keyboard 16 months old) but that is incosequential. People keyboard via tactile feedback which is why the index finger keys have bumps on them. The bumps allow us to position our hands and keep us from making mistakes.

This device looks applicable to the "hunt and peck" crowd.

[sliaa]

(1) Need to carry yet another accessary (it's a plug-in, not a built-in). And in some case (cell phone), the accessary is bigger than the phone itself.

(2) can not be used on un-even surface (such as laptop). In this case, not as useful as a built-in thumboard,

[ux4484]

I see a business use for this. As someone who maintains over 120 racks of computers..even with arbitrators installed; keyboard trays dominate many of our racks with some racks that have two or three keyboards for maintainence access. We don't need much long term access to these positions, but when we need it, we need it NOW. Install the drivers on all your boxes and a tech only has to carry this guy around in his pocket to quickly access any workstation from the rack with a minium of hardware to tote around, or clutter up the rack.

But what I REALLY need is something like this that includes a heads up display for the video on the workstation as well...talk about the perfect technicians access tool. It could also be a boon to security if you could key the devices like a MAC address filter to control access for it.

[apeguero]

I prefer the tactile look and feel and the portability of my iPAQ thumboard, thank you. If this came as an option where the keyboard were projected from within the Pocket PC itself and would therefore not depend on any attachment then i could see the benefit. But, I see no benefit on how this is proposedon versus simply attaching my thumboard.

[MaximumPDA]

We tried it at CES as well, and it displays just fine because of the angle it shoots the laser image but its weird to type on because of the lack of tactile feedback. There was an audible feedback but I think a couple of rubber nubbies stuck on the surface you are going to use where the F and J key will display would be helpful.

The demo unit they had was using a hand etched keyboard template on the laser; they will be using a computer etched template for the shipping product. I think it will take some getting used to because of the lack on tactile feedback.

I could see future products built into a PDA once the technology get smaller. I look forward to getting the shipping product for some real testing.

--Bill

[Warwick]

I would like to see it included in the device too. I find the interesting part being that this could mean you can make keyboard skins, have an ergo split keyboard with lots of Office buttons, then switch to a master gaming keyboard with symbols for shoot or run instead of trying to remember that W is forward.

But its early tech yet, lest see what its like in 10 yrs......

[felixdd]

"The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy cow"


Just had to say it -- it should be "lazy dogs" not "the lazy cow" because this way you're missing "g" and "s" ;)

ANYWAYS...

this wouldn't work for touch-typists. For one thing, you won't be able to find home row. And you have no idea how much you depend on tactile feedback for actions like typing...until it's gone.

This is no substitute for a full-fledged keyboard and I hope they realize it. However it would be good for those always on the go and can't find a flat surface...but then again...you can always just unfold your keyboard. Hmm...tough call, tough call.

[rmasinag]

I think you would have to memorize the spacing of the keys due to the lack of tactile feedback.


But for now I'm placing my scarce student funds in the up and coming BT Kb that's supposed to come out in the summer :)

[silentmuse]

Actually, I realized I'd type cow moments after I typed it. :) But then I looked at it for a bit and thought it sounded kinda cool that way so I decided to leave it alone. Good to see someone's on their toes...

[jimski]

I could see future products built into a PDA once the technology get smaller.
--Bill

Please, before you start squeezing a laser keyboard into my future PPC, please squeeze in a few hundred xtra MB's of RAM and maybe a high res screen and.......

[rbrome]

I saw the Panasonic demo at CES, too. Here's my take (with photos):

http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/ces_2004/index.php?p=panav

[rbrome]

I agree with the Honda. Actually, I was thinking the same thing the other day. How could laser shine through your fingers? ...

It's not really an issue. Yes, there are shadows under your fingers... but they're UNDER your fingers, so the only part that's blocked is mostly what is hidden by your hands anyway. Think about it - do you have any trouble with a normal keyboard even though you can't see through your fingers? :wink: