DougEngelbart
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Engelbart's chorded keyboard reborn as stunning red jellyfish
In December 1968, Douglas C. Engelbart introduced the world to two brand-new computer peripherals of his own invention.The first was his invention, the computer mouse -- which, as you're well aware, revolutionized user input two decades later. The second, the chorded keyboard, still has yet to take off outside the Braille community. But after forty years, Doug Engelbart hasn't given up on the latter device; he recently commissioned an industrial designer, Erik Campbell, to modernize the antiquated keyset into this lovely jellyfish-inspired, five-fingered keyboard replacement. Made of silicon rubber and recycled plastics, the concept peripheral uses pressure-sensitive pads at each fingertip to detect key-presses, turns combinations of presses (the "chords") into letters and words, and sends them over wireless USB to the host computer. Sure, chorded computing isn't for everyone (else we'd all be sporting iFrogs and typing gloves), but if this concept ever comes to fruition, we just might be tempted to learn. Update: Though Doug Engelbart brought us the computer mouse, he did not invent the chorded keyboard, merely demonstrated it at the same 1968 event. Thanks, MAS! [Thanks, Semfifty]
"Eye-Controlled Interaction" for your GUI coming soon
Doug Engelbart, prepare to be usurped by the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering. Yes, the folks that brought you the MP3 and the Multimedia Dome are now working on the Eye-Controlled Interaction system -- a way to control a computer GUI just by staring at it the right way, possibly rendering the mouse a quaint invention of 20th century computing. Hyperbole aside, the mouse is probably safe for now, given that the EYCIN is mainly designed to be used by "disabled people, or professionals, such as maintenance technicians or chefs, who need both hands free to carry out their work." Of course, this isn't the first eye tracking system out there. One of the previous iterations' major hurdles is involuntary eye movements that are easily misinterpreted as mouse movements, and that staring at an on-screen button for slightly too long can be misunderstood as well. Dr. Fabian Hermann, a usability engineer on the project, told The Engineer that by using a "statistical average filter" to account for the jerky involuntary motions, the software can track eye movements much more smoothly. Further, on-screen buttons will change color twice to ensure that the selection is exactly what the user meant. Hermann also said that he forsees the day when by just looking at your stereo or a light panel, you could turn it on or off. He adds: "You could even control a kitchen display showing recipes or other information when your hands are busy or covered in ingredients." [Via Futurismic]
