LiquidKeyboard: Virtual, Free Style Keyboard for Tablets

 Typing on a touch screen keyboard like on a tablet PC such as Apple iPad is not an easy task for those who use a regular keyboard.

Computer system researcher, Christian Sax and Hannes Lau had unveiled a new way for typing on touchscreen devices especially for tablets, called LiquidKeyboard at University of Technology, Sydney.

Keyboard

Liquid Keyboard is a virtual keyboard for touchscreen device. It adjusts to the user’s natural finger positions. When user touches the touchscreen surface, the LiquidKeyboard splits the QWERTY keyboard and allocates a group of keys around each individual finger.

The system senses the user’s finger pressure and positions by calculating the surface area of the finger on the screen. The user can also control the positions of the keys and adjust the keys as per their convenience of their finger position, hand size and shape.

The LiquidKeyboard allows users to know exactly where keys are positioned on the virtual keyboard as these keys are always at the same position comparing to the present finger position on the screen.

These two researchers have invited other research groups and are looking for a partnership deal to develop this technology.