iPhone mod adds haptic feedback when typing
updated 11:10 am EST, Thu February 28, 2008
iPhone haptic keyboard mod
In an effort to make typing on the iPhone more familiar, the University of Glasgow has unveiled a hack that provides vibration feedback when a virtual key is pressed, simulating the effect of typing on a real keyboard. The patch enables what the University calls haptic feedback, which researchers say can help improve typing speeds, while simultaneously reducing errors. The hack is available from the University's Google Code page, requiring a jailbroken 1.1.3 iPhone.
The current modification uses a 70-millisecond, 170Hz pulse with the built-in vibration motor to simulate pressing the key, while a 50-millisecond, 100Hz pulse imitates the key raising when the finger leaves the touch surface. The researchers also have implemented an unspecified event that occurs when a user's finger crosses over two keys, to help with accuracy.
LOL
02/28, 01:59pm reply
You know the term "haptic" came from the researchers, and not MacNN "writers."
In any event, this sounds useful, but how do you wean yourself off using the vibrations? After I got accuracy down, I know I'd want to conserve battery life by eliminating vibrations, but there'd be that sense of wrongness without the same feel to typing.
danviento
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Dec 2005
Go Scotland
02/28, 05:06pm reply
Tha's feckin' braw!
Monstermind
Junior Member
Joined: May 2000
@danviento
02/28, 05:38pm reply
Better question would be "what is the effect of this implementation on battery life?"
I'm not optimistic that it's negligible (not that anyone is saying that this is the case), but hard to say how bad it is without facts.
lockhartt
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2000
Danviento
02/29, 11:32am reply
Of course the researchers came up with it, which is why I wrote "The patch enables what the University calls haptic feedback...". I thought that was pretty clear.
Galen Wood
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2007
Haptic
03/12, 11:33am reply
The problem is that it is not "what the University calls haptic feedback"
It _is_ haptic feedback. HCI programs all over the world use the term for anything that gives physical feedback from a computer.
phayd
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2002