Laser Virtual Keyboard

[archerships]

http://www.mobileplanet.com/private/avantgo/product.asp?pdept_id=&cat_id=101&cat_name=Pocket+PC&dept_id=3715&pf_id=MP250277&listing=1&dp_id=MP250277

The Virtual Laser Keyboard leverages the power of laser and infrared technology and projects a full-size keyboard onto any flat surface. Compatible with Palm handhelds, Pocket PCs and Laptop PCs. As you type on the laser projection; it analyzes what you're typing by the coordinates of that location.



Unlike many small snap-on keyboards for PDAs, the Virtual Laser Keyboard provides a full-size QWERTY keyboard. It is also smaller and more convenient to use than the folding-type keyboards made by some manufacturers and similar to them in functionality.

There are no mechanical moving parts whatsoever in the Virtual Laser Keyboard. It provides a projected image that is the perfect portable input device for PDAs. It's similar in responsiveness to regular keyboards, but extremely futuristic looking.

The Virtual Laser Keyboard requires no special training. The light weight device weighs two ounces and is similar in size to a disposable cigarette lighter. The Virtual Laser Keyboard includes a self-contained, rechargeable lithium ion battery. It provides the Virtual Laser Keyboard with its own internal power supply, so it doesn't drain any battery power from the PDA or PC. The battery lasts three to four hours, more than enough time to do some instant messaging and SMS messaging from the handheld device or to update calendar and phone book entries.

The Virtual Laser Keyboard is ideal for well-lit offices.

Cost-effective - eliminates the cost of maintaining mechanical keyboards in volatile locations.

Applications: home, office, clean rooms, medical & dental facilities, dirt-free environments, classrooms, etc.

Comments

[polyanarch.livejournal.com]

This is the future. I can see myself using one of these in the field. Now if only I could get my boss to buy me one...

[9thmoon.livejournal.com]

Expense it. ;)

[radiantsun.livejournal.com]

That's made by an Isreali company right?

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Don't know. Why?

[radiantsun.livejournal.com]

I remember reading about "POwer Paper LTD" which is an Israeli company in Nanotech magazine, and then I had a conversation with someone involving the above and they also mentioned either the device you posted or a device similar to the one you posted, that was made by an Israeli company and then the conversation went on to talk about other Israeli companies making cool technology things and how you can't buy stock in these companies yet, and I was sad. Cause those things are cool.

OKay, that's about all I know about anything. ;)

[blueadept.livejournal.com]

There's a company called Harris & Harris and they do venture capital investing in nanotech companies. They've made a very nice run up lately - beaten the market by a huge percentage. Their stock symbol is TINY.

I've also seen this laser keyboard in a Slashdot post some time ago, but don't remember who it was that made them. There was another post on Slashdot more recently about a 3D display like the one seen on the movie Paycheck (the one Ben Affleck's character creates, that actually projects a 3D image into thin air). Hook each of those up to a tiny computer (size of a handheld) and you've got a pocket computer with the comfort of a desktop and the portability of your wallet!

[vyus.livejournal.com]

Now if we can just get a numeric keypad!

[troyworks.livejournal.com]

I tried one at Siggraph, I believe it's the same display engine from Canesta, who is trying to integrate it with PDA's and the like.

I wasn't really that impressed.

It (like my fingerworks.com touchstream) doesn't have any tactile feedback so speed is slow and error rates are quite high and can't get better, and worse unlike the touchstream can't be trained/keys adjusted as far as I know and doesn't have a mouse/click like function.

That said once trained it's significantly faster than the thumb input which also requires visual registration via looking while typing.

The other thing I don't like about it is it requires a flat surface to project on last time I heard, so this makes it only useful for a limited range of things. How often carrying around a PDA does one have access to a flat surface?

Also in the version I saw wasn't alaser, just an LED with projection optics. But it was still cleanly legible.

And I thought I was original...

[mermeridith555.livejournal.com]

damn. I had actually imagined something like this a few months ago and thought I was clever.

I predict we'll soon have convenient portable "screens" that can be projected onto any blank flat surface.