Researchers Find Personalized Touchscreen Keyboards Improve Typing Speed

Typing on a touchscreen can be frustrating for many users, as many complain that the experience can be more difficult and produce more errors than typing on a regular keyboard. However, researchers have found that touchscreen keyboards that adjust to individual typing styles could ease the frustration.

Leah Findlater from the University of Maryland and Jacob Wobbrock from the University of Washington collaborated on an experiment to see if the keys on a touchscreen keyboard could be adjusted to improve typing speed and accuracy. In the experiment, 12 people were asked to type a series of phrases that would analyze the position of each tap. Based on this information, the size and location of the keys were altered, such as creating a larger space key or lowering keys if the user generally hits the bottom of them. Although the personalized keyboard did not make a significant difference in accuracy, users did type fifteen percent faster once they adjusted to it.

The research was featured in New Scientist.

For more information, visit http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428676.600-touchscreens-learn-your-habits-to-help-you-type-faster.html 

June 5, 2012