Leap Motion - Typing test

Leap Motion - Typing test

The Leap Motion controller is an USB infrared sensor that can detect movement of the user's both hands and their fingers as well. The controller is placed on the desk in front of the screen. When hand movements are performed above the device, these are detected and processed. How the software 'sees' your hands and their movements can be visualized with an application that accompanies the drivers. In the video below this can be seen on the right. It can be used as a game controller, a navigation device for applications or input device.

Our interest lies in the latter. Google chrome offers a search input plugin for the Leap controller. General browser navigation is also available, but lets focus on the text input ability.

The virtual keyboard layout resembles the Minuum style, or just all QWERTY keys put on one line. The keys are pressed by moving the 2 index fingers up and down and directing them at the letters on the left or the right side. So each hand has a set of letters which is separated by a larger space bar. Soft pressing the letters (= not pressing all the way down) allows the software to correct them to neighboring letters. Hard pressing, which is clearly visualized, will ensure the exact usage of that letter. While typing, the software offers some word predictions below the keyboard. These predictions can be accessed by moving the left index finger to the left or right quickly. Doing this with the right index finger will correct the last typed letter (or word when 'swiping' farther).

I created a setup where the Google Chrome keyboard can be seen on the left screen and the visualizer application on the right. After learning how the keyboard works, I tried to input some search queries:

The keyboard works quite well. The interface and the gestures to be used, are clear. However, actually getting the words you want on screen, is quite difficult. The letter keys are fairly narrow, so the accuracy suffers. This should be caught by the correction feature, but still it doesn't get it right that much.

Below are some other examples of how the Leap controller can be used as a text input system, which are more promising. The setup in the last video actually enables to type quite fast, as if it were on a real physical keyboard.

Example of ASETNIOP based typing with a Leap controller. More info on http://asetniop.com

Example of Minuum based typing with a Leap controller. More info on http://minuum.com/

Example of ASETNIOP based typing with a Leap controller on an auxiliary glass surface. More info on http://asetniop.com