Fujitsu Prototypes Tablet That Watches You Type A Nonexistent Keyboard

We’ve seen a number of prototypes over the years where lasers are used to project a keyboard on a surface so the user could type their virtual keys so the device can recognize what is being written. But what if lasers or physical keyboards weren’t necessary at all, instead, allowing our tablets or smartphones watch our fingers to translate what we want to write? That’s exactly what Fujitsu is prototyping at Mobile World Congress this week.

The way this works is through a combination of software and a front-facing camera on a tablet. Fujitsu has developed a way for users to simply type on a flat surface, to which the tablet can recognize the location of your hands as well as what fingers are typing what key.

Lighting plays an important role with this prototype as a well-lit environment will lead to better tracking. I would think skin tone would also play a factor as I would assume darker skin tones would be harder to track than lighter ones.

Fujitsu is currently considering including this prototype in future tablets and smartphones, although we’re wondering who exactly would use something like this.

Daniel Perez
Categories: Cellphones, Tablets
Tags: Camera, Fujitsu, virtual keyboard