Probabilistic Text Entry—Case Study 3

Abstract

The reading and writing of text is an activity that has long dominated our interac­ tions with computers. Early user interfaces often displayed only text and relied on input obtained via a desktop keyboard. Actions on the keyboard were deterministic; if you hit a particular key, the action linked to that key was immediately triggered. Today, most of our desktop keyboard interactions retain this predictability with a few exceptions such as the automatic spelling correction of some word processors. However, using a desktop keyboard may not always be desirable or practical. For example, we may be away from our desk and need to enter text on a mobile device. We may want to enter text in new computing environments such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), or in environments embedded with sensors and dis­ plays (e.g., autonomous cars). This chapter looks at the techniques and challenges associated with moving away from our trusty desktop keyboard to input methods that are inherently uncertain.