Gesture-enhanced Word Prediction for On-screen Keyboards

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed research may offer people who rely on assistive technology an exceptionally efficient method for entering words into computers and other assistive devices. We accomplish this by designing an on-screen keybo ard that uses gesture- enhanced word prediction techniques. The keyboard is gesture aware in the sense that it enables a person to enter words by moving the mouse cursor toward several letters in a word without requiring the person to select each on-screen letter by dwelling or clicking on it. The combination of word prediction and gesture recognition techniques may reduce the number of on-screen letters that the user must select by up to 75%. We will develop a prototype of the proposed system, and people w ho rely on assistive devices will evaluate it. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE. The proposed research may offer people with severe disability an exceptionally efficient method for entering words into computers and other assistive devices.