based in Stockholm, Sweden

Senseboard Technologies AB is an IT company headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded in 2000 by Gunilla Alsiö and employs 10 people.

Overview

Two hand-mounted devices connect to the target computing device with the help of Bluetooth wireless networking technology. The user can type on a hard surface like a desk or table, or into the air. The hand-mounts measure finger movements and tell the handheld what keys the user intends to press, based on the ubiquitous Qwerty keyboard layout. There's also a pause function.

Senseboard SB 04 – The Current System

The prototype product released in December 2002 is designed to capture the motion of the fingers and hands, enabling keyboard functionality. The Virtual Keyboard's current status is that it works for slow typing of words and numbers on a PDA or Laptop computer. Within the next few months Senseboard will make the following improvements:

• faster (i.e. normal/touch typing speed possible)
  
• easy to use for an un-trained Senseboard user
  
• wireless version will be released
  
• also is offering a virtual keyboard that uses sensor technology and artificial intelligence to let users work on any surface as if it were a keyboard.
  

We've seen something similar before. At last year's Comdex trade show in Las Vegas (see: "Air Typing Into A PDA") we ran across a company called Senseboard Technologies that had designed devices that attached to the hands and allowed for typing into a PDA. It won a Best of Show award and reminded us of the classic Jerry Lewis typewriting comedy routine from the movie, Who's Minding The Store?

Sensors made of a combination of rubber and plastic are attached to the user's palms in such a way that they do not interfere with finger motions. Through the use of Bluetooth technology, the "typed" information is transferred wirelessly to the computer, where a word processing program analyzes and interprets the signals into readable text.

The device is currently usable via existing ports on personal digital assistants (PDAs) from Palm and other manufacturers. Senseboard officials say it eventually will be compatible with most brands of pocket PCs, mobile phones and laptop computers.

Alsio said the Virtual Keyboard is scheduled for general release in March 2002, and is expected to retail for about US$150.

Usability
No visual mapping, recognition not recall, easy to make errors. Only for expert touch typists.