Stroke Dialer For Eyes-Free Keypad Input

http://eyes-free.googlecode.com

The stroke dialer enables one-handed keypad input using the touch-screen — and that without having to even look at the screen. Here is how it works — we start with a brief description of the problem that asks the right question. The answer becomes self-evident as you follow this video.
1.1 The Problem

On-screen keyboards typically show some buttons on the screen that you activate by touching the screen. To activate such buttons, one needs to look at the screen, because the buttons are placed at specific points on the screen, i.e., they are absolutely positioned. So what if you want to activate such buttons without looking at the screen? From the foregoing description, it's clear that the only reason one is forced to look at an on-screen keyboard is because the buttons are absolutely positioned. So let's relax that constraint, let's use relative positioning to place the buttons.

We'll start with a keyboard we're all familiar with, the telephone keypad. Since we're using relative positioning, let's place the center of the keypad wherever you first touch the screen. So, to dial a 5, you just touch the screen.

Now, you know where 5 is — it's where you first touch down. But look, since you know the layout of a phone keypad, you can now find all the other digits relative to the 5. So for example, 2 is directly above 5 — so to press 2, you touch down on the screen, and stroke up before lifting your finger. similarly, you stroke down for an 8, or diagonally up for a 1.

In real life, we both hear and feel as we press physical buttons. This form of synchronized auditory and tactile feedback is essential for creating user interfaces that feel realistic. The stroke dialer produces a slight vibration as the finger moves over the various buttons that is synchronized with an auditory tick to achieve this effect. It also produces spoken feedback to indicate the button that was pressed.

To conclude this video, let's dial a few numbers.

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Tags:

• android
• eyes-free
• stroke dialer
• marvin
• tv raman
• charles l chen

[shacker2762]

Indeed, but voice dialing isn't always convenient. The point is that voice dialing is an ADDITIONAL input method. This stroke dialing gives blind people an input method most others took for granted. This potentially opens up a whole new class of devices to the blind.

[jordinyc]

I took a look at "A Special Phone" For the sake of people who have iPhones, I hope someone comes up with something better than an auto-dialer that makes you reliant on an able-bodied person to program it for you. If you know ANY disabled people, you'll know that's generally not exactly a welcome concept.

I am however guessing that AT&T and Apple are more than happy to let you encourage people to accidentally "shake" their iPod so hard that it flies out of their hand and breaks.

[starrychloe]

3m41s too long.

[needmoarinternets]

1. your voice and accent are extremely annoying

2. cut to the goddamn chase, you manage to talk bullshit for 2 minutes until you actually get to what the vid is about

3. its a fucking keypad that pops up where you hit the touchscreen. whats so fucking amazing about it? thanks for wasting 4 minutes of my lifetime for what couldve been told in 20 seconds, retard

[madshobye]

Thanks for pointing that out :-P

My point was merely: Do blind people have a problem navigating a keypad? Since i do not have problem doing this without looking. But then again i have a phone with tangible buttons.

[chadcdavis]

It just might be helpful to the blind. ;)

[madshobye]

I just tested i am able to blindly unlock my phone and dial a number without looking at my phone. is this a solution looking for a problem?

[jordinyc]

I agree that developers don't make great presenters. However it's 2009 and these guys probably can't afford a good presenter.

I think it's a brilliant app, but yeah, it needs a much better pitch.

[jordinyc]

"A Special Phone" is the lamest thing I've ever seen. It's just an auto-dialer that you have to have an able bodied person program for you. What if they shake it 1 too many times? or too few? "Hello, 911 emergency? oh god, not you again!" And you damn well better have good grip when you "dial" so it doesn't go airborne.

This app is 100 better because you can call whoever you want and not just a short list, and you don't have to have stupid AT&T to use it.

[jordinyc]

Next time you get off an elevator, look at the buttons where you press the floor button. In addition to the braile (which you may find in some of these elevators), there is also something which we call "raised numbers."

nyquil, all phones have voice recognition and "voice dialing" have you ever actually tried using it? If you've spoken with an automated system just once, you'll know how far behind that technology still is. This app is an alternative to something people already have.

[nosferatu2412]

Fail.

The iPhone app 'A Special Phone' obviously owns this by a mile!