Dasher---a data entry interface using continuous gestures and language models

Existing devices for communicating information to computers are bulky, slow to use, or unreliable. Dasher is a new interface incorporating language modelling and driven by continuous two-dimensional gestures, e.g. a mouse, touchscreen, or eye-tracker. Tests have shown that this device can be used to enter text at around 25 words per minute, compared with typical ten-finger keyboard typing of 40--60 words per minute. Although the interface is slower than a conventional keyboard, it is small and simple, and could be used on personal data assistants and by handicapped computer users. KEYWORDS: Adaptive, Text, Entry, Language, Modelling 1 INTRODUCTION A conventional Scholes (qwerty) keyboard is often inconvenient; the interaction device may be too small or too big 8, or may have to be operated with one hand because it is wristmounted or hand-held 17. There are many competing methods of text entry for handheld devices, but none is clearly superior. This is largely because text entry...