Last week HP India unveiled a revolutionary pen-based technology that allows the (Indian language) Kannada script to be recorded and stored directly on a computer.
This technology could open the power of computing to vast numbers of new users â all in their own language and without prior knowledge of English or typing.
The gesture-based keyboard (GKB) â developed by researchers at HP Labs India also holds the potential for Indic languages derived from the Devanagari and Tamil scripts to be used in a similar manner. That could benefit more than 1.5 billion non-English speaking people, including Indian, Nepalese, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi and other phonetic script users.
Unlike other Indic language entry methods which either use bilingual keyboards or display the Indic keyboard layout on a monitor, the GKB is a low-cost and rugged solution that helps solve the phonetic language entry problem by letting users input data the way most people learn to write â with a pen. This simple data entry method makes it easier to communicate for people who may not understand English or know how to type. Field tests conducted by HP Labs India researchers demonstrated that most people found it easy to use.
The GBK can help bridge the digital divide by simplifying the use of IT,â said Dick Lampman, senior vice president and director of HP Labs. HP Labs India is working on a wide range of other new information and communications technologies for India and other rapidly growing markets by understanding relevant social, cultural, economic and technological drivers.
In addition to text, the GKB can be used as a mouse, to capture signatures, pictures and other visual elements, and help shorten writing time by arranging letters alphabetically and requiring only phonetic modifiers. The device is expected to be manufactured and distributed by a third party, based on technology licensed from HP.
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