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Clove 2 Bluetooth Dataglove For One-Handed Typing

Posted by timothy on from the perhaps-not-best-for-motorcyclists dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Clove 2 is a bluetooth dataglove used for one-handed typing. It uses a 31-combination finger-chording design with three modes to allow every key on a standard keyboard to be typed with minimal effort. The bluetooth functionality removes the need to tether it to a computer, and since it profiles as a standard HID Keyboard, a simple translation layer to perform key remapping, sticky modifiers, and mode switching is the only software required. It consists of three components: the glove itself, the bluetooth module, and a custom charger for the Bluetooth module. Video, pictures, and full plans and schematics on the project page." From that page: "Please be advised that the Clove 2 Bluetooth Dataglove is a personal project, not a commercial offering." I hope that gets corrected at some point!

9 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. Cool, but... by clang_jangle · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Watching the video, it does look kind of cool. Reminds me a bit of the Twiddler2, which I sort of admire also. Two things stop me from getting one, though:
    (1) If I have to hit more than one button per character that's going to slow me down a lot, and
    (2) what about using vi (or any other pro editor)?

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    Caveat Utilitor
    1. Re:Cool, but... by mcbutterbuns · · Score: 3, Interesting

      (2) what about using vi (or any other pro editor)?

      I doubt this would have very many applications for the general public however this could be VERY useful for people with a disability. I can imagine a quadriplegic (one that doesnt have total paralysis) might be able to find use for this.

    2. Re:Cool, but... by caffeinemessiah · · Score: 4, Interesting

      If I have to hit more than one button per character that's going to slow me down a lot, and

      As someone who plays a musical instruments, this isn't as much of an impediment as it sounds. With time, you might find that its actually more powerful because (a) you're trained to think in terms of multiple keys and (b) you can extend these "chords" to capture complex keystrokes, so you'd actually SAVE time in vi, etc.

      I don't know if it would help carpal tunnel, but the flexibility of positioning your hand in any way sure sounds like a neat thing. Plus, you could walk around your office and touch-type, hell you could even use the bathroom and keep typing if you're so inclined.

      --
      An old-timer with old-timey ideas.
    3. Re:Cool, but... by harry666t · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Makes me think about using my electric guitar as an input device... Although it's hard to say how many unique chords could I produce, or if the software could easily distinguish between all of them (but certainly easier than voice recognition!). Hey, but I could switch between lower and upper case by hitting the "distortion" button! :D

      My family is gonna kill me, though...

    4. Re:Cool, but... by myxiplx · · Score: 2, Interesting

      30wpm? My sister used to have a chord-keyboard on a handheld computer called the Agenda years ago. It was bought for her because she was partially sighted, as a quick way to take notes in classes. The guy who demonstrated it could achieve 130wpm, they are phenominally fast. I was a 100+wpm touch typist at the time, and could nearly match that speed with this thing with a month or so of practice.

      Forget typing speed, a good chord based keyboard user can hit speech speeds:
      "Many stenotype users can reach 300 words per minute"
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chord_keyset

  2. Frogpad? by strabes · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I would think the frogpad has already more efficiently implemented a one-handed typing solution that doesn't require a glove.

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    Its = possessive. It's = "it is"
  3. Please develop an optimal solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I'm using a twiddler2 to type this. It is great for coding especially since you don't need to speedtype. This data glove misses the point. Look at how far his fingers have to move, mine barely have to move to type. But here's the most important part... mouse! I can do EVERYTHING with my left hand, which is great because my righty gets irritated fast from way too many years using a mouse and typing hard with no breaks.

    Here's the problem though, the twiddler sucks! I love it except it breaks every month and they need to send me a new one. That was sorta okay for awhile, but now some supplier stopped making a component and I am using a broken one because they're out. Also the form is not contoured enough. It is okay, but they could redesign it to fit the human hand much better.

    Look, keyboards suck, and lots of hackers now have RSI. So we need a real solution, now. Please someone take the idea of the twiddler2 and make it better? But unlike this glove, you need to design it to have the smallest requirement of hand movement possible, and use one hand to do both keys and mouse. The twiddler2 is sooooo close to being amazing. But it needs some actual research and design of a large corporation not some garage operation.

    Logitech, Microsoft, someone... please wake up and produce this. I'll pay $2,000 for one if it had a 10-year replacement warranty.

    Also, every time I post Anonymously I never get anyone seeing what I write. So please mod this up if you can, I don't have an account, I just like to read the site.

    1. Re:Please develop an optimal solution by Russ+Nelson · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I'll pay $2,000 for one if it had a 10-year replacement warranty.

      I'll sell you one of these http://blog.russnelson.com/chordite for $2,000 with a 10-year replacement warranty.

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      Don't piss off The Angry Economist
  4. Re:Add it to the pile... by MightyYar · · Score: 2, Interesting

    And it is faster than trying to enter text on a phone keypad...

    Jay Leno did it
    And a more impressive win...

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    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.