Path: utzoo!attcan!hjespers From: hjespers@attcan.UUCP (Hans Jespersen) Newsgroups: comp.society.futures Subject: Re: Input devices for the computer of the future Message-ID: <3799@attcan.UUCP> Date: 20 Jan 89 04:19:41 GMT References: <890112093223.000003A6171@grouch.JPL.NASA.GOV> <400010@hpdsla.HP.COM> Reply-To: hjespers@attcan.UUCP (Hans Jespersen) Organization: AT&T Canada Inc., Toronto Lines: 22 Prosthetic devices are getting more and more advanced every day. Consider this, a "virtual keyboard" designed for use by people without functional hands or fingers. Electric pulses which propagate along the nerves to the hands and fingers (which perhaps don't exist) are picked up by electronic sensors and a small microprocessor translates these hypothetical motions into an alphanumeric character or perhaps a machine instruction. Incredible input speeds could be achieved. The hardest part might be training the user to "type" the right key. Different interfaces could be designed for completing different tasks. People could be trained to single handedly (no pun intended) control complicated equipment that normally would require several operators. Just imagine a quadrapeligic (sp?) space shuttle pilot who can control all aspects of the complicated equipment that (s)he it "wired" into, a job that currently takes several men and numerous computers to perform. Ahh, dreams. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hans Jespersen UUCP: uunet!attcan!hjespers AT&T Canada Inc. or ..!attcan!nebulus!arakis!hans Toronto, Ontario #include