One-handed device for digital writing + air mouse

Joshjb

Beta member
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3
Location
USA
Hi everyone!

I was given permission from Trotter to post here.
I'm here to tell you about my Kickstarter campaign and request support if you like it.

Nydeum has created a one-handed device combining the functions of a keyboard and a mouse.
One side is an air mouse, the other side is a writing track. The device connects wirelessly with a USB stick to smart TVs and personal computers, among others.
Nydeum Sense is perfect for social media use and as a controller for smart TVs. It implements a simplified version of the Latin alphabet optimized for one-handed typing.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/441769686/nydeum-sense-keyboardandmouse-merged-to-solve-digi

I'm curious to hear your input, let me know what you think!
 
I don't think I'd support this sorry :/

1. Way too difficult to learn the combos for the different letters. People struggle with keyboards enough, this is even harder.

2. 3 characters per second *once* you're proficient? For one, I doubt the average user will ever hit this rate. For another thing, it'll require a lot of practice to have a hope of reaching this speed in the first place. The entire idea behind this is to make it easier than getting up to go to the keyboard...

3. The device you're competing with is a mini wireless keyboard with trackpad. Much easier/faster to type on, no requirement to learn some arbitrary combo system, and provides all the same functionality as this device plus some more (key combos and shortcuts, full key range with no "optimised version" required)

4. IMO this could also be improved by just making a touchpad with clickable corners rather than dedicated raised buttons - for one, it would allow users to just draw in the characters one by one - plenty of handwriting recog software out there and it's only getting more efficient/accurate as time goes on. Plus it could learn as the user types (e.g. by making them go through the alphabet to better train the writing-to-text prediction, or just by continuing to analyze usage and adjust predictions accordingly)
 
I don't think I'd support this sorry :/

1. Way too difficult to learn the combos for the different letters. People struggle with keyboards enough, this is even harder.

2. 3 characters per second *once* you're proficient? For one, I doubt the average user will ever hit this rate. For another thing, it'll require a lot of practice to have a hope of reaching this speed in the first place. The entire idea behind this is to make it easier than getting up to go to the keyboard...

3. The device you're competing with is a mini wireless keyboard with trackpad. Much easier/faster to type on, no requirement to learn some arbitrary combo system, and provides all the same functionality as this device plus some more (key combos and shortcuts, full key range with no "optimised version" required)

4. IMO this could also be improved by just making a touchpad with clickable corners rather than dedicated raised buttons - for one, it would allow users to just draw in the characters one by one - plenty of handwriting recog software out there and it's only getting more efficient/accurate as time goes on. Plus it could learn as the user types (e.g. by making them go through the alphabet to better train the writing-to-text prediction, or just by continuing to analyze usage and adjust predictions accordingly)

Hi S0ULphIRE, I really appreciate your reply. You are one of the first to offer such detailed feedback. I am trying to assess how well the details of the product are coming across, and I believe some things are not entirely clear, so allow me to respond:

1. I understand your concern, this was my initial thought as well, but once you try it you'll realize it's no big deal - most letters are 2 swipes and are formed similarly to English (Latin) letters. Plus our educational software senses your finger's movements and offers tips on which direction you need to go to write a certain letter. After a few tries, your motor skills and muscle memory will kick in and you'll have a hard time forgetting each movement.

2. The text in the video is perhaps slightly misleading, 3characters/second is not the maximum achievable typing speed, it's more of a comfortable typing speed for occasional users. We're not trying to compete with the speed of the keyboard, but rather introduce a more comfortable alternative. Still, to put things into perspective, average typing speeds are around 3,8 ch/sec with a 4-6% error rate - with Nydeum, once you've learned the letters the error rate is much lower because of the fixed track.

3. Nydeum has all those functions as well. The device can be easily programmed to do anything. Any finger movement on the track (e.g. a swipe in any direction) or in the air (e.g. a tilt in any direction) can work as a command. If you don't want to program your own device, you can download commands and characters uploaded by others from our online library. Or if you do spend time programming the device, you can upload your variations for others to purchase or download for free.

4. "it would allow users to just draw in the characters one by one" - that's precisely what Nydeum does. There are no clickable buttons, the four raised buttons you speak of are there to guide your finger. Writing is done by moving your thumb between the raised buttons as if you were drawing the character, only this way we provided a fixed track to help you stay within the lines and make sure that everyone writes the same way. This means don't have to worry about recognition errors as you would with handwriting recognition software.

Does this offer any new insight into the workings of the product, or is this how you already imagined it? Thanks for taking the time!
 
No worries! And yes, this does clear up a few things.

1. Ok - if that's really the case, you need to show far more clearly how easy it is. Show your mum using it to look up a youtube video in one frame so there's no doubt she's actually inputting stuff in real time. Something like that would convince me *far* more than your assurances that it's easy ;)

3. Sounds good for power users, but again I'd say your marketing needs adjusting. You're trying to market it as easy to use with simple learning curve etc. Pros/nerds/techs won't really care about that, they care about what they'll be able to make it do. Make a video for pros that show exactly how useful/powerful it can be when customised correctly maybe?

4. I'd still argue for proper handwriting recognition - the fact that you have to learn swipe combos for letters is the biggest downfall of this device. You've got a great touch-sensitive area, and it is *seriously* not hard to correctly interpret handwriting input anymore from direct input. Then all people have to do is treat it like they're holding a pencil - no learning software or system required - just plain old writing.
 
No worries! And yes, this does clear up a few things.

1. Ok - if that's really the case, you need to show far more clearly how easy it is. Show your mum using it to look up a youtube video in one frame so there's no doubt she's actually inputting stuff in real time. Something like that would convince me *far* more than your assurances that it's easy ;)

3. Sounds good for power users, but again I'd say your marketing needs adjusting. You're trying to market it as easy to use with simple learning curve etc. Pros/nerds/techs won't really care about that, they care about what they'll be able to make it do. Make a video for pros that show exactly how useful/powerful it can be when customised correctly maybe?

4. I'd still argue for proper handwriting recognition - the fact that you have to learn swipe combos for letters is the biggest downfall of this device. You've got a great touch-sensitive area, and it is *seriously* not hard to correctly interpret handwriting input anymore from direct input. Then all people have to do is treat it like they're holding a pencil - no learning software or system required - just plain old writing.

Thanks for the tips once again! I still think Nydeum's digital alphabet than handwriting recognition. Another future benefit, which I find even more exciting than living room use is that we have developed a significantly small writing surface (different from the one you see in Nydeum Sense, but using the same digital alphabet) which we have tested in smartphones and smartwatches.

I don't know if you've seen Google's new plan for Android Wear 2.0, but I don't believe adding a keyboard that takes up 95% of the smartwatch screen is a viable solution. Not to mention our fingers are way too big for those tiny keys. I believe Nydeum to be a much better solution in this case. What do you think?
 
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