Stipe with QWERTY layout

As a feedback on Stipe (see next chapter) we received feedback that the method works well and would fit nicely to game consoles. The critics against Stipe was that the new metaphor (stick gestures with new keyboard layout) make the method difficult to approach. Based on this feedback we worked on a solution that is compatible with virtual QWERTY keyboard. As an example we created Sony PS3 type of keyboard with Stipe gestures (see the figure below).

This gives the users industry standard layout and compatibility with virtual keyboard (You can use Sixaxis  cursor keys to select characters one by one in old (slow) manner). The number key solution based on leaning with another joystick while the other one makes the gesture. See the figure below.

There is of course options on QWERTY layout and how special characters / number keys are implemented. Here we illustrated visually and compatibility wise PS3 type solution.

The layout is all about how to show the keyboard and how to map the characters. Therefore the original Stipe SW code is valid for this layout as well. For time being we have not made QWERTY compatible Stipe source code available into products page as the change is pretty trivial.

We think that we here capture combine Stipe fast typing with compatibility and startup easiness and therefore significantly improve Stipe benefits.

Stipe "Stick type"

Our first offering on product side is a fast text input method called Stipe for dual-joystick gamepads. It is targeted for gaming console market: game houses, console vendors and all others who want to bring game consoles to same interaction level as desktop PC environment has been already for decades.

There has been several attempts to create a decent typing method for game console gamepads (Sony PS2/PS3, Nintendo Wii, MS XBOX). These attempts have not been successful when it comes to achievable text typing speed and usage without relying virtual keyboard on display.

With Stipe method we go to the basics and take a full advantage on human memory capability to learn simple muscle movements associated on static character mappings.  After the initial practice the usage is easy and requires less and less human orientation.

Check the video below.

The basic idea is to have three different gestures that have a maximum differentiation between each other:
- Straight movements x-y axis (4 directions * 2 joysticks)
- Short rotation x-y axis clock-and anticlockwise (8 directions * 2 joysticks)
- Long rotation x-y axis clock- and anticlockwise (8*2)
This setup gives 40 different gestures with two joysticks. Each gesture is allocated to different character depending on character set in use. The number of available characters is increased by using gamepad L1 and R1 buttons up to 160.

The user needs to learn of course the characters (mapped to gestures). The clear benefit is that this learning is passed very quickly from active memory to muscle memory. We have very good results of this transaction and the basic reason is simple gesture selection (only three basic gestures separated with direction).

The following pictures shows the basic gestures.

Below the same video as above but now played with 1/3 speed .

In the following video Stipe method is introduced as video playback tutorial. It shows how gestures are mapped into characters, special characters, uppercase and numbers. The character mapping used in the tutorial is basic mapping for Latin languages but here only English language characters are shown (The mapping differs from the one shown in the speed writing videos (In videos we use Finnish language specific mapping )). 

There will be soon a blog entry about learning speed of Stipe.

You can try it by yourself under Linux OS, see Download page.