Integrating isometric joysticks into mobile phones for text entry

We are investigating a new gestural text entry method for mobile phones that uses an isometric joystick and therefore consumes very little physical space. We have created a high-fidelity mobile phone prototype with two embedded isometric joysticks, one on the front for use with the thumb, and another on the back for use with the index finger. The joysticks can be used to enter text using a special version of the EdgeWrite text entry method. In our proposed studies, we would like to investigate the performance of using the joysticks as text input devices in stationary and mobile situations. With our prototype, the authors were able to write at ~12 wpm with the front joystick, and ~7 wpm with the back joystick. These numbers are sure to improve as further refinements are made.

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