Scots scientists have launched a revolutionary keyboard which makes typing on touchscreens 34% quicker – thanks to guinea pig students who spent 19 hours texting.
St Andrews University experts have developed a system called KALQ, which they claim allows people to type 37 words-per-minute on all touchscreen pads – including phones and tablets – compared to the 20-a-minute typed on average using a standard QWERTY keypad.
Dr Per Ola Kristensson, lecturer in human computer interaction in the School of Computer Science, said the keyboard could become the most popular way to type on touchscreen devices.
He said: "We recruited a number of students from the university campus to try out our new keyboard where they could practise texting on a touchscreen device with the new layout.
"At first the QWERTY layout was still being used quicker because that's what the students were used to. But we found that after eight hours of practice ... the new layout code was being used quicker.
"Students spent between 13 and 19 hours getting used to the system."
Scientists at the university used a "computational optimisation process" in conjunction with a model of thumb movement to search among millions of potential layouts before identifying the best one.
Dr Kristensson said: "We wanted to minimise finger-travelling time, so we researched arrangements until we found this one. I helped develop the 'sliding' technology on touchscreens and I believe this will catch on just as well as that did."
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