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Hardware Hacking Input Devices Build

Clove 2 Bluetooth Dataglove For One-Handed Typing 96

Posted by timothy from the perhaps-not-best-for-motorcyclists dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Clove 2 is a bluetooth dataglove used for one-handed typing. It uses a 31-combination finger-chording design with three modes to allow every key on a standard keyboard to be typed with minimal effort. The bluetooth functionality removes the need to tether it to a computer, and since it profiles as a standard HID Keyboard, a simple translation layer to perform key remapping, sticky modifiers, and mode switching is the only software required. It consists of three components: the glove itself, the bluetooth module, and a custom charger for the Bluetooth module. Video, pictures, and full plans and schematics on the project page." From that page: "Please be advised that the Clove 2 Bluetooth Dataglove is a personal project, not a commercial offering." I hope that gets corrected at some point!
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Clove 2 Bluetooth Dataglove For One-Handed Typing More

Clove 2 Bluetooth Dataglove For One-Handed Typing

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  • Cool, but... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by clang_jangle ( 975789 ) * on Saturday July 19, 2008 @03:26PM (#24255723) Journal
    Watching the video, it does look kind of cool. Reminds me a bit of the Twiddler2, which I sort of admire also. Two things stop me from getting one, though:
    (1) If I have to hit more than one button per character that's going to slow me down a lot, and
    (2) what about using vi (or any other pro editor)?

    • Septambic keyer DIY (Score:5, Informative)

      by phatvw ( 996438 ) on Saturday July 19, 2008 @03:39PM (#24255827)
      Hey guys these devices have been around for a while. See Steve Mann's DIY septambic keyer [wearcam.org] project. More info on keyers [wikipedia.org].

      Do any of you remember the Nintendo powerglove [youtube.com]? Now that was the pinnacle of interface design IMHO!!!

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by mcbutterbuns ( 1005301 )

      (2) what about using vi (or any other pro editor)?

      I doubt this would have very many applications for the general public however this could be VERY useful for people with a disability. I can imagine a quadriplegic (one that doesnt have total paralysis) might be able to find use for this.

      • Re:Cool, but... (Score:5, Insightful)

        by fireboy1919 ( 257783 ) <rustypNO@SPAMfreeshell.org> on Saturday July 19, 2008 @04:30PM (#24256147) Homepage Journal

        I don't think you understand the beauty of this thing.

        One hand for keyboard, and one hand for trackball (or to hold the device). No flat surface required. Heck, if you put a stylus on the finger, you could use it as the *only* input device for internet tablets.

        It's the perfect interface for a plane, or when standing in line/close quarters. Data entry for small devices can become fast. Not as fast as an actual keyboard, but approaching 30WPM instead of the wimpy 10 we get with thumbpads.

        • Perfect for a plane? (Score:3, Insightful)

          by cciRRus ( 889392 )
          I'm not sure if Bluetooth tranmissions are allowed on a plane.
          • I'm not sure either, but WiFi isn't allowed and AFAIK Bluetooth works on the same frequency (2.4Ghz).

        • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

          by myxiplx ( 906307 )

          30wpm? My sister used to have a chord-keyboard on a handheld computer called the Agenda years ago. It was bought for her because she was partially sighted, as a quick way to take notes in classes. The guy who demonstrated it could achieve 130wpm, they are phenominally fast. I was a 100+wpm touch typist at the time, and could nearly match that speed with this thing with a month or so of practice.

          Forget typing speed, a good chord based keyboard user can hit speech speeds:
          "Many stenotype users can reach 30

    • Re:Cool, but... (Score:5, Interesting)

      by caffeinemessiah ( 918089 ) on Saturday July 19, 2008 @04:00PM (#24255973) Journal

      If I have to hit more than one button per character that's going to slow me down a lot, and

      As someone who plays a musical instruments, this isn't as much of an impediment as it sounds. With time, you might find that its actually more powerful because (a) you're trained to think in terms of multiple keys and (b) you can extend these "chords" to capture complex keystrokes, so you'd actually SAVE time in vi, etc.

      I don't know if it would help carpal tunnel, but the flexibility of positioning your hand in any way sure sounds like a neat thing. Plus, you could walk around your office and touch-type, hell you could even use the bathroom and keep typing if you're so inclined.

      • Back in the day (like, high school) I played sax like a pro..

        Then again, I can type over 100wpm, so maybe that helped a lot. :)

        People don't quite get the concept of chords. Everything on a sax was a combination of 9 fingers, on even more keys. I don't remember off hand how many there are, but enough to keep you busy. To sound good, you have to get practiced.

        I almost (almost) consider it harder than really playing piano, as far as the fingering goes. I don't

      • Re:Cool, but... (Score:5, Funny)

        by arosas ( 904929 ) on Saturday July 19, 2008 @05:06PM (#24256405)

        hell you could even use the bathroom and keep typing if you're so inclined.

        as;lkdgasjkd;gasdkjgn;bsavdeqw4;gaieshfFvkzn;xc .... sorry I was wiping.

      • Re:Cool, but... (Score:4, Interesting)

        by harry666t ( 1062422 ) <harry666t@DEBIANgmail.com minus distro> on Sunday July 20, 2008 @08:05AM (#24261161)
        Makes me think about using my electric guitar as an input device... Although it's hard to say how many unique chords could I produce, or if the software could easily distinguish between all of them (but certainly easier than voice recognition!). Hey, but I could switch between lower and upper case by hitting the "distortion" button! :D

        My family is gonna kill me, though...

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by mrchaotica ( 681592 ) *

      If I have to hit more than one button per character that's going to slow me down a lot

      No it won't. You hit all the buttons for the character simultaneously, not sequentially. Experts (such as the one I'm about to mention below) can type at least on a Twiddler2 as they can on a QWERTY.

      what about using vi (or any other pro editor)?

      Thad Starner [gatech.edu], a pioneer of wearable computing (and on the left in the picture), practically lives in EMACS and uses a Twiddler2 to do so.

    • Skiping the glow (Score:2, Informative)

      by agge ( 1244568 )
      http://www.senseboard.com/index.php [senseboard.com]

      Senseboard develops and manufactures a wearable
      data entry platform to enable users of mobile
      communications systems to effectively input
      text or data in practically any environment.
  • But I hadn't realized it had become such a problem that someone had to invent a one-handed typing glove.

  • So...um (Score:5, Funny)

    by iminplaya ( 723125 ) on Saturday July 19, 2008 @03:30PM (#24255755) Journal

    What am I supposed to do with my other hand, if I may be so bold to ask?

  • ...are going to be all kinds of classy. I'm sure the one-handed typing is for the disabled... yeah, i'm going to stick with that.

  • that only the "Wizard" could love! (Cmon, Late 80's folks, you know what I'm talking about!).

  • I love the power clove. It's so bad.

  • Report card (Score:5, Funny)

    by Dan East ( 318230 ) on Saturday July 19, 2008 @03:38PM (#24255815) Journal

    Geek Factor: A+
    Functionality: B-
    Aesthetics: F

    • oh come on! The bloody thing is a prototype! Anything made from scratch isn't going to look nice.

      Now if it were a commercial package, sure, it looks like a POS, but seriously, the guy made everything himself.

  • How is this chording? I thought a chording system was where you had a few buttons and then each letter was assigned to a number of those buttons you have to press at once to get the letter (just like playing a chord on a piano). This seems to be a system where you make a connection between 2 contacts to make a letter - or did I miss something?
    • Its close enough that it counts. It counts as chording because everything is a result of a minimal of two 'buttons' (connections). It would be like playing a 31 key keyboard with only your index fingers. Forcing you to make contact may be the only way to make it work, as just making the glove detect deflections in your fingers may be too sensitive... or maybe that's for clove 3.

  • I've lost count of the number of non-querty input devices and methods I've seen, but none of them have made a dent in usage of the querty keyboard. I suspect this is mainly down to the fact that people just don't want to learn a new system. These guys try to side-step that by saying the glove is for situations in which you can't use a keyboard, but really - is there anything wrong with voice control in most adverse situations? I suppose maybe combat or physical disability, but hmm.

    • I think more than anything, there's no impetus for change. If you lost an arm for xyz reason, sure, this might be a great HID with which to get back in the groove, otherwise, like you say, why bother?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Dan541 ( 1032000 )

      If we are going to learn a new system we should use morse code, not only can we do it with just one button but we can also recive messages by touch quite easily.

  • Now the inventor of the Dvorak keyboard will have some company in Gazillionaire Land.

  • Frogpad? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by strabes ( 1075839 ) on Saturday July 19, 2008 @04:50PM (#24256275)
    I would think the frogpad [frogpad.com] has already more efficiently implemented a one-handed typing solution that doesn't require a glove.

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by AaxelB ( 1034884 )
      Hah! That picture [frogpad.com] is hilarious, though maybe that's just after reading all the "what do you do with the other hand?" jokes made so far.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ps ( 21245 )

      You ever used a FrogPad? I've got one here, and while it can be used, it's not laid out well enough to use regularly. The idea is wonderful. If they would just move the keys a little more ergonomically so it's not such a stretch to hit the keys with the pinkie, I'd love it. As it is, I eventually gave up.

      ps

  • The Power Glove [wikipedia.org]?!?!?! Makes me want to go and beat up Fred Savage for some reason, and make a lot of inappropriate 80s references...

  • Please develop an optimal solution (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward

    I'm using a twiddler2 to type this. It is great for coding especially since you don't need to speedtype. This data glove misses the point. Look at how far his fingers have to move, mine barely have to move to type. But here's the most important part... mouse! I can do EVERYTHING with my left hand, which is great because my righty gets irritated fast from way too many years using a mouse and typing hard with no breaks.

    Here's the problem though, the twiddler sucks! I love it except it breaks every month and t

  • Finally we can IRC while coding! (by using 2 of these gloves)

  • Humans are very dextrous and expressive tool users. Our brains excel at feedback with an object we manipulate, especially with our hands, to get what's on our minds out there in the world.

    We're not nearly as good at just waving our hands, with nothing in them, to communicate, as we are at flapping our lips. Our hand gestures are much more precise and accurate when they've got something to feel moving with or against them. So I expect that these gloves will not nearly compete with decent keyboards for produc

  • ... of a time I was speaking in front of a group of magazine publishers. They were worried about the effect of the Internet on their print publications and if there were subscription models for their Web sites that might work. I said that, at the time, there were two primary examples of subscription models for traditional print publications: WSJ.com and Playboy.com and that Playboy's model has been so successful that they were able to cut back on their print run. Then I paused and said, "Playboy.com ... th

  • The next part is to make a teaching program so easy everyone can do it.

    This reminds me of a device from back in the late '70's called the "Write-hander" which looked a little bit like a mouse with buttons under the fingers and some mode switches under the thumb. It was a pretty good solution for people limited to one hand typing (amputations, paralyis, etc..), but it lacked durability and was harder to learn than the conventional keyboard.

    I hope something like this gets more useful over the years.

  • Cool idea, but it still takes on hand to type. Gimme a grill [jezebel.com]I can type with from the tip of the tongue.

    Although at this point if you're gonna use your mouth to type text you might as well go with speech-recognition, however you could use that for when you can't speak (a trooper trying to be silent, a kid at school txting) or when the environment is too noisy.

    Clove 2 guy, rob da electronics store n make yaself a grill! (sorry, I had to)

  • Ctrl Alt Del simultaneously???
  • There's a scene in the beginning of the movie where a kid uses something very similar to this with his tiny portable computer/communications device.

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