Laser Projection Keyboard

Description

   A projection keyboard is a form of computer input device whereby the image of a virtual keyboard is projected onto at any flat surface when a user touches the surface covered by an image of a key, the device records the corresponding keystroke, than it analyzes what you're typing by the coordinates of that location.

History

   An optical virtual keyboard was invented and patented by IBM engineers in 1992. It optically detects and analyses human hand and finger motions and interprets them as operations on a physically non-existent input device like a surface with painted or projected keys. In that way it can emulate unlimited types of manually operated input devices (such as a mouse, keyboard, and other devices). Mechanical input units can be replaced by such virtual devices, potentially optimized for a specific application and for the user's physiology, maintaining speed, simplicity and unambiguity of manual data input.

   In 2002, Star-up company Canesta developed a projection keyboard using their proprietary "electronic perception technology". The company subsequently licensed the technology to Celluon of Korea. A proposed system called the P-ISM combines the technology with a small Video projector to create a portable computer the size of afountain pen 

Design

   A laser or beamer projects visible virtual keyboard onto level surface. A sensor or camera in the projector picks up finger movements. Software converts the coordinates to identify actions or characters.

Some devices project a second (invisible infrared) beam above the virtual keyboard. The user's finger makes a keystroke on the virtual keyboard. This breaks the infrared beam and reflects light back to the projector. The reflected beam passes through an infrared filter to the camera. The camera photographs the angle of incoming infrared light. The sensor chip determines where infrared beam was broken. Software determines the action or character to be generated.

   The projection is realized in four main steps and via three modules: projection module,sensor module and illumination module. The main devices and technologies used to project the image are a diffractive optical element, red laser diode, CMOS sensor chip and an infrared (IR) laser diode.

Technical Detail 

   Small, Easy-to-Integrate Components: Its compact size and lower power consumption allows manufacturers to integrate the Projection Keyboard directly into their devices without significantly increasing the size or power consumption of the device 

   Fast and Accurate Data Input: The large keys and familiar layout of the Projection Keyboard allows for input speeds greater than that of 50 words-per-minute with error rates similar to that of a standard physical keyboard, thus setting a new benchmark in mobile input performance 

   Ease of Use: Projection Keyboard provides users with a comfortable, near fatigue-less way of entering data into their mobile devices. Projection Keyboard can also help reduce the ergonomic risk factors associated with other input alternatives by reducing strain on the wrists 

   Dual Mouse and Keyboard Functionality: Since the Projection Keyboard Perception Chipset works by optically tracking finger movements rather than registering the physical switches of a regular keyboard, users can use the same surface for both keyboard data entry and mouse functionality 

And More Images :

Source :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projection_keyboard
http://www.virtual-laser-devices.com/?an=vlk-new
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ES6E6W
http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=6766

BY : Tomy Febri Pradana - 0910961009