QWERTY Research Articles

Text Input on a Smartwatch QWERTY Keyboard: Tap vs. Trace

ABSTRACTThis study examines text input performance on a smartwatch using tap and trace input methods on a standard QWERTY keyboard (SwypeTM). Participants were either experts or novices to the tracing technique on their smartphone. No users had experience typing on a smartwatch. Participants were able to type at speeds comparable to, or exceeding, those reported in the literature for smartphones and small screen devices. Both novices and tracing experts typed faster overall using the trace input method than the tap method and experts typed the fastest using trace (37 WPM). Word error rates were also comparable to those reported for smartphone text input. These results suggest that using a standard QWERTY keyboard that allows both tap and trace for text input is a viable option on a smartwatch.

Evaluation of Premium Ultrasound Systems With Sonographers: How Comparative Usability Testing Can Reveal Human Factors Issues Prior to Errors in the Exam Room1

Evaluation of Premium Ultrasound Systems With Sonographers: How Comparative Usability Testing Can Reveal Human Factors Issues Prior to Errors in the Exam Room1

Five User Interface Design Tenets

• A permanent, noninterrupting, and dynamic visualization is superior to text-based alerts to aid complex decision making during uncertain situations (Rayo et al., 2015). Dynamic visualizations are advantageous in that they (a) do not interrupt the operator, (b) visually present the risks and benefits of alternatives, and (c) promote comprehension and algorithm transparency of the decision support system. • With smaller keyboards being increasingly used today with portable devices, such as tablets and laptops, it is important that key spacing have a positive impact on typing performance and usability. A key gap of at least 3 mm and center-to-center key spacing of 17 mm is recommended to ensure higher typing accuracy (Madison et al., 2015). • Present dark characters on light background versus light characters on dark background when designing displays. This is especially advantageous with smaller font sizes to facilitate better perception of details (Piepenbrock, Mayr, & Buchner, 2014). The higher luminance provided by dark characters on a light background leads to higher pupillary contraction, increases the depth of field, and leads to higher acuity and superior perception of fine print. • With smartphones being used for myriad activities, such as social networking, messaging, and e-mailing by both younger and older adults, it is important to have reliable text entry methods. Smith and Chaparro (2015) showed that voice input is the most effective text entry method for younger and older adults alike, followed by physical Qwerty, tracing, onscreen Qwerty, and handwriting. Therefore, smartphone manufacturers should consider releasing smartphone models with physical Qwerty keyboards to gain a competitive edge. Handwriting is the least usable text entry method for both older and younger age groups. Tracing input is superior to onscreen Qwerty and handwriting among the onscreen input methods. • When designing large touch-screen user interfaces for young and old users, provide (a) click-to-zoom or drag-to-zoom options as well as a two-finger zooming gesture, (b) a click-to-rotate gesture design as well as a two-finger continuous rotating gesture, (c) touch-screen inclination angles of 60° to 75° to facilitate zooming and rotating, (d) button sizes that are at least 15.9 × 9 mm, and (e) dragging tasks that have right and downward movements (Gao & Sun, 2015).

Comparison of Three QWERTY Keyboards for a Smartwatch

Comparison of Three QWERTY Keyboards for a Smartwatch

QWERTY, ЙЦУКЕН and Serbian keyboard: Do we need a new standard?

The article considers the compatibility of the Serbian Cyrillic script with the scripts used in the keyboard layouts of typewriters and computers. After a short overview on the most popular keyboard layouts (so-called universal, i.e. QWERTY, that is primarily intended for Anglo-Saxon and German world, and ??????, intended for the part of the world using the Cyrillic script), it is pointed out that the layout identified as Serbian in reality is the QWERTY with minor modifications. In the second part of the article, with the use of Markov chains and empirically examplified by Seobe (Migrations - one of the most popular novels of the Serbian literature), the incompatibility of these layouts for the Serbian Cyrillic script is confirmed, and thus the need for a new standard is emphasized.

Applicability of keystroke dynamics as a biometric security feature for mobile touchscreen devices with virtualised keyboards

Touchscreen-based smartphones with virtualised QWERTY keyboards are becoming increasingly popular and by and by displace the old numerical keypads of normal cellular phones. On traditional desktop computer keyboards, which basically feature the same layout as the virtualised smarthpone keyboards, keystroke dynamics analysis KDA algorithms have long since been successfully used as an additional factor for user authentication. However the question remains whether the algorithms used for desktop computers also achieve good results on touchscreen-based devices. This paper presents the results of an experimental user study on the performance of a KDA algorithm for desktop computers applied on a touchscreen-based smartphone. The results achieved are far inferior than those achieved with a desktop computer keyboard. As will be shown, standard typing characteristics like time between two key events which provide good results for user authentication on desktop computers are not sufficient for building a successful KDA algorithm for virtual touchscreen keyboards. Hence, this paper also identifies additional features that could be incorporated in such an algorithm in order to improve the accuracy of KDA on touchscreen-based mobile devices.

The Accessibility of Multifunction Printers: An Updated Usability Study of Accessible Multifunction Printers and a Survey of Multifunction Printer Users with Vision Loss

Introduction This article investigates the use of multifunction printers by individuals with vision loss, and explores current accessibility solutions to determine the extent of accessibility and usability for those who are visually impaired, with suggestions for improvement. Methods A usability study conducted in early 2014 recruited 10 volunteers with varied degrees of vision loss and user experience. Each performed four tasks on the Lexmark, Canon, and Ricoh multifunction printer accessibility solutions. An online survey conducted between October 2011 and April 2012 used a volunteer sample recruited through advertising and distribution in private organizations. The sample consisted of 26 individuals who were blind and 34 who had low vision; all participants had experience using multifunction printers. The sample was comprised of 58% women, 83% white, and 78% college graduates. The median age range was 45 to 54 years old. Results The usability study respondents had a high success rate in performing tasks, averaging a rating of 4.5 out of 5, and scores increased over the four tasks. Participants preferred the Lexmark machine due to its familiar QWERTY keyboard interface. Most survey respondents (80%) use a multifunction printer at home for personal use; 67% use multifunction printers in the workplace. Fifty-eight percent used assistive technology with their multifunction printers. The most important multifunction printer function was printing, followed by scanning and copying. Faxing was least important. Those with low vision were more likely to use the multifunction printer's copy function than those who were blind ( p < .002). To improve accessibility, respondents suggested higher contrast, larger characters, speech output, and tactile controls. Discussion People with vision loss use multifunction printers at work and home. Current accessibility solutions for multifunction printers work well for individuals with vision loss, but there is much room for improvement. Manufacturers should be urged to implement suggestions from research participants to increase the accessibility of their products.

UOIT Keyboard: A Constructive Keyboard for Small Touchscreen Devices

Many techniques have been proposed for reducing errors during text input on touchscreens. However, the majority of these techniques suffer from the same limitation, i.e., the keyboard keys are overcrowded on a small screen, resulting in high error rates and slow text inputs. To address this situation and resolve the problems associated with overcrowdedness, we introduce a new text-entry method called the “UOIT keyboard.” The idea behind the UOIT keyboard is to compose letters using “drawing-like typing” on the UOIT keyboard, which has 13 large keys that replace the 26 small keys that exist in the QWERTY keyboard. We describe the design, keys, and mechanism of the UOIT keyboard. A 24-participant user study was conducted to evaluate the speed and accuracy of the proposed entry method as compared with the QWERTY and multitap entry methods. As part of the evaluation, a questionnaire was used to collect participants’ preferences. The UOIT keyboard has a mean entry speed of 11.3 words/min. The UOIT keyboard significantly reduces the typing errors with 3.8% total error rate comparing with 11.2% and 16.3% for QWERTY and multitap entry methods, respectively.

Visual and manual loadings with QWERTY-like ambiguous keyboards: Relevance of letter-key assignments on mobile phones

Mobile phone touchscreens have many ergonomic problems related to text entry. Previous studies, which attempted to use ambiguous keyboards to resolve problem of small keys, focused on the disambiguation process without consideration of the user loading on graphic user interface. This study investigates user loadings, which interfere with performance in the key selection phase when using an ambiguous keyboard. Hence, three QWERTY-like ambiguous keyboards and a standard QWERTY keyboard were compared via visual search and manual operation experiments. The visual search experiment shows that layouts with many letters per key were strongly related to long visual search times, and layouts with large keys were operated faster and more accurately in the manual operation experiment. Consequently, the trade-off between visual and manual loading differed among different letter-key assignments. This study is important in that it elucidates the impacts of visual and manual loadings on ambiguous keyboards, as well as in providing user interface designers with an enhanced understanding of how to design ambiguous keyboards based on user criteria. Relevance to industryAmbiguous keyboard designs in previous studies were generally far from the actual needs of users. This study examines the factors affecting text entry performance of users via the user-centered approach, improving the understanding of designers.

Typing performance evaluation with multimodal soft keyboard completely integrated in commercial mobile devices

Recently touch screens are widely used for mobile devices to provide intuitive and natural interactions with hands and fingers. However, the lack of tactile responses makes it difficult for users to get key-click confirmations during text entry with soft keyboards. This paper examines the effect of tactile feedback on typing performance with the soft QWERTY keyboard, the most commonly-used, multi-finger text entry and thumb typing methods in mobile devices. In order to investigate the typing performance, we implemented tactile feedback functions by embedding multiple piezoelectric actuators that was attached under the touchscreen to simulate the key-click effect in commercial mobile platforms, MS Surface Pro (tablet) and Nokia Lumia520 (phone). We conducted an experiment of transcription tasks to measure typing performance and user preference. The experiments involved transcribing given phrases with three feedback conditions: visual only, visual with audio, and visual with tactile. The results showed that the typing performance (KSPC, WPM, UER, CER) has been significantly improved by adding tactile feedback to the existing visual display on a commercial tablet and phone. A further quantitative analysis by questionnaire also showed that all of the participants preferred tactile or aural feedback to visual feedback only. This study thus provides researchers and designers with practical guidelines regarding tactile feedback on commercial mobile devices.

Implementing multiple biometric features for a recall-based graphical keystroke dynamics authentication system on a smart phone

Keystroke Dynamics-based Authentication (KDA) is a type of behavioral biometric method. It verifies user identity via the keystroke features gathered from the keystroke events provided by users on a QWERTY keyboard. With the growing use of smart phones, the traditional keypad on mobile phones has been replaced by touch screen devices. The keypad-based KDA is no longer suitable for smart phones. This paper proposes a KDA system implemented using multiple biometric features applied to the pattern lock layout on a smart phone. Except for the time, pressure and size of the keystroke features presented in previous research, we additionally adopted a novel angle keystroke feature and determined the best combination of these features in a series of experiments. As the results show, with 10 training samples involved, the combination of time, pressure and angle offers the best utility (Equal Error Rate of 3.03%).

Towards high performance communication using intracortical brain-computer interfaces

Towards high performance communication using intracortical brain-computer interfaces

Enhancing typing performance of older adults on tablets

Touch screen interfaces are increasingly more popular. However, they lack haptic feedback, making it harder to perform certain tasks, such as text entry, where users have to constantly select one of many small targets. This problem particularly affects older users, whose deteriorating physical and cognitive conditions, combined with their unfamiliarity with technology, can discourage them from using touch devices. The goal of this work was to thoroughly understand older adults touch typing behavior, in order to develop text-entry solutions more appropriate to their needs, which will enhance their typing performance. On a first phase, a baseline QWERTY keyboard and five different variants were developed that mostly used a text prediction algorithm to suggest the most probable keys or words. These keyboards were evaluated on a baseline study with 20 younger adults in order to find the most promising ones, which were then used in a study with 20 older adults. The older adults study revealed more about their typing behavior and therefore created four new variants to be used in a simulation study. Results show that visual changes should be kept to a minimum; touch points should be shifted upward and to the opposite side of the hand used to type; single touch keyboards perform better than multi-touch; and omitting keys below a certain time threshold minimizes accidental insertions.

Neural Point-and-Click Communication by a Person With Incomplete Locked-In Syndrome

A goal of brain–computer interface research is to develop fast and reliable means of communication for individuals with paralysis and anarthria. We evaluated the ability of an individual with incomplete locked-in syndrome enrolled in the BrainGate Neural Interface System pilot clinical trial to communicate using neural point-and-click control. A general-purpose interface was developed to provide control of a computer cursor in tandem with one of two on-screen virtual keyboards. The novel BrainGate Radial Keyboard was compared to a standard QWERTY keyboard in a balanced copy-spelling task. The Radial Keyboard yielded a significant improvement in typing accuracy and speed—enabling typing rates over 10 correct characters per minute. The participant used this interface to communicate face-to-face with research staff by using text-to-speech conversion, and remotely using an internet chat application. This study demonstrates the first use of an intracortical brain–computer interface for neural point-and-click communication by an individual with incomplete locked-in syndrome.

An Evaluation of the Ergonomics of the QWERTY Keyboards

The ergonomic design of a keyboard layout needs expertise in design and ergonomic standards. The existence of different categories of users with slow typing skills, visually searching the apparently random keyboard, including novice users, elder persons and disabled persons conducts to the need of new keyboard layouts. Paper analyses some papers approaching the QWERTY keyboard layouts, the typing abilities of slow typing skills persons and discusses the existing standards in computer devices design and makes observations about design standards and ergonomic design features. There are presented some considerations about the necessity to implement the principles of Transgenerational Design, Inclusive Design, Design for All and Universal design to the design of new keyboard layouts.

Mouse simulation in human–machine interface using kinect and 3 gear systems

We never stop finding better ways to communicate with machines. To interact with computers we tried several ways, from punched tape and tape reader to QWERTY keyboards and command lines, from graphic user interface and mouse to multi-touch screens. The way we communicate with computers or devices are getting more direct and easier. In this paper, we give gesture mouse simulation in human–computer interface based on 3 Gear Systems using two Kinect sensors. The Kinect sensor is the perfect device to achieve dynamic gesture tracking and pose recognition. We hope the 3 Gear Systems can work as a mouse, to be more specific, use gestures to do click, double click and scroll. We use Coordinate Converting Matrix and Kalman Filter to reduce the shaking caused by errors and makes the interface create a better user experience. Finally the future of human–computer interface is discussed.

A brain–computer interface for the Dasher alternative text entry system

To investigate whether the alternative text entry system, Dasher, is useful to physically and intellectually disabled students when controlled by a brain---computer interface (BCI) a new software tool was developed to allow subjects to type words onto a computer screen via Dasher using their thoughts. A case study approach was adopted. Subjects were selected based on their suitability for the experiment, and the potential benefit to them of this system, by their head teacher. Subjects entered literacy level-matched phrases onto a computer using QWERTY keyboard, Dasher-mouse and Dasher-BCI. A researcher recorded qualitative and quantitative data, including characters entered per minute and their system preferences. Informed written consent was given for seven subjects to participate (aged 14---19 years, five male, with a range of physical and intellectual disabilities). After a short training period, all subjects had some degree of control over the Dasher-BCI system. With regard to typing speed, Dasher-BCI performed relatively poorly (3.9 ± 1.5 characters per minute), and QWERTY keyboard performed the best (31.9 ± 21.9 characters per minute). Dasher-BCI was the most preferred method. Areas of weakness in Dasher and the BCI hardware were highlighted and suggestions for improvement given. BCI-based text entry is not yet ready to compete with more established methods for students with combined cognitive and physical disabilities. Although underpowered, this study suggests that for people whose predominant disability is physical (cerebral palsy), BCI technology shows great potential as a viable text entry alternative. Suggestions for further research are discussed.

A data-driven design evaluation tool for handheld device soft keyboards.

Thumb interaction is a primary technique used to operate small handheld devices such as smartphones. Despite the different techniques involved in operating a handheld device compared to a personal computer, the keyboard layouts for both devices are similar. A handheld device keyboard that considers the physical capabilities of the thumb may improve user experience. We developed and applied a design evaluation tool for different geometries of the QWERTY keyboard using a performance evaluation model. The model utilizes previously collected data on thumb motor performance and posture for different tap locations and thumb movement directions. We calculated a performance index (PITOT, 0 is worst and 2 is best) for 663 designs consisting in different combinations of three variables: the keyboard's radius of curvature (R) (mm), orientation (O) (°), and vertical location on the screen (L). The current standard keyboard performed poorly (PITOT = 0.28) compared to other designs considered. Keyboard location (L) contributed to the greatest variability in performance out of the three design variables, suggesting that designers should modify this variable first. Performance was greatest for designs in the middle keyboard location. In addition, having a slightly upward curve (R = −20 mm) and orientated perpendicular to the thumb's long axis (O = −20°) improved performance to PITOT = 1.97. Poorest performances were associated with placement of the keyboard's spacebar in the bottom right corner of the screen (e.g., the worst was for R = 20 mm, O = 40°, L = Bottom (PITOT = 0.09)). While this evaluation tool can be used in the design process as an ergonomic reference to promote user motor performance, other design variables such as visual access and usability still remain unexplored.

Effects of perceptual expertise in detecting letter transpositions on QWERTY keyboards

Effects of perceptual expertise in detecting letter transpositions on QWERTY keyboards

Novice and Expert Performance of KeyScretch: A Gesture-Based Text Entry Method for Touch-Screens

KeyScretch is a text entry method for devices equipped with touch-screens, based on a menu-augmented soft keyboard. In these keyboards, a menu containing a small number of frequent characters is shown, while a key is pressed, allowing further character entry by menu selection. KeyScretch improves the previously studied menu-based methods by enabling the interpretation of compound strokes, which allow the input of text chunks longer than two characters. The performance of the method is analyzed on different kinds of touch-screens: First, we present a 25-session user study on a stylus-based device, showing that an instance of the method optimized for Italian can be learned in a reasonable time by the users and significantly outperforms the traditional method based on the tapping interaction. Then, we define and validate a model for predicting expert text entry rates on finger-based devices. The predicted rates for instances of KeyScretch optimized for different Western languages vary from about 44-50 words/min on the Qwerty layout, enabling improvements in the range of 30-49% as compared with the traditional method.