If you think a laser-projection keyboard that makes it possible to type on any flat surface is something from a science fiction movie, think again. Produced by the Korean company Celluon and listed by the BBC among its Top 5 PC input devices, the virtual input keyboard is very much science fact.(ETNEWS)
Celluon is the producer of several virtual keyboards for general and specialist use that have been enthusiastically received both in Korea and abroad, in particular the USA. In this article we will take a look at the company's Epic virtual keyboard.
1. Epic's Feature Set
Epic's ultra-thin profile and minimal weight mean it fits comfortably in your pocket and goes wherever you go. As well as typing, Epic offers full control over functions such as speaker volume, screen brightness, sensitivity, power-saving mode, and more in conjunction with the FN key. And a virtual mouse function lets you scroll, zoom in and out, click, right-click, and page forward and back simply with finger movements. The Epic also features a rechargeable built-in battery that provides power for more than two hours.
Epic connects to desktop PCs and laptops as well as and handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets via Bluetooth and runs on iOS 4.0, Android 4.0, Windows XP or later, Blackberry 10 operating systems.
2. How it Works
The Epic virtual input keyboard works using 3D Electronic Perception Technology (EPT). EPT is a single-chip imagining technology that enables a device to form a 3D map of a user's finger and hand movements, which it then transforms into keystroke input signals.
Epic's 241mm x 106mm virtual keyboard layout can be projected on to any opaque, flat surface. An invisible infrared (IR) layer is also projected on the top of the visible keyboard. Interruptions to the IR layer caused by hand and finger movement create UV reflections that the Epic's optical sensor interprets, analyzes and translates into keystrokes and mouse actions.
Celluon also uses virtual input technology in its medical keyboard, which was developed for use in hospitals.
The same technology employed in Celluon's keyboards is also being applied to numerous other environments and applications, such as vehicle collision avoidance systems, controller-free video games, and home security systems that can distinguish the movements of the homeowner from those of intruders.
The Epic virtual input keyboard is a great example of how products that were once limited to the realm of our imagination are today turning into reality. Innovative products and technologies such as the virtual technology we have looked at here are also contributing to making out lives both more convenient and safer. Thanks to the efforts of Celluon and Korean companies like it, dreams are becoming reality and benefiting people around the world