Virtual keyboards are interface devices that allow a user to enter characters into a computer system, much like a normal keyboard. But unlike a normal hardware keyboard, virtual keyboards do not have hardware keys – rather their keys are virtual or software based. A recent example is seen in the Apple’s iPhone – which is the first popular device that contains a what is called a touchtype interface. Part of this interface is a virtual keyboard that is used by pressing or touching the keys as they are displayed on the screen.
Uses of Virtual Keyboards
Virtual keyboards are used for a number of reasons. I already talked about the virtual keyboards that are part of touch-type systems such as iPhone. Originally, virtual keyboards were designed for people who could not use the physical keyboard due to a physical handicap. This included people who do not have much fine control of their fingers to press the keys of a physical keyboard – such users can use a trackball or mouse to press the virtual keys of virtual keyboards.
Apple's iPad touch keyboard compared to iPod Touch courtesy of Coolmikeol from Flickr
The more recent uses of virtual keyboards such as in Apple’s iPhone and iPad come from the desire to reduce the size of the devices – why attach a physical device to the one when you can add a virtual and practically zero-sized keyboard to it? And indeed the consumers have responded favorably to these virtual devices.
Types of Virtual Keyboards
There are three main types of virtual keyboards – device-driven virtual keyboards, touch-type virtual keyboards and laser virtual keyboards and. Virtual musical keyboards are another type of virtual keyboard.
Device-driven Virtual Keyboards
These are the earliest kind of virtual keyboards – the user interface consists of a third device which is different from a physical keyboard or the screen. It might be a trackball or a mouse that is used to move the cursor on the screen and press on virtual keys. These are one of the more popular ways used by the otherwise impaired to use a computer.
Touch-type Keyboards
Touch type virtual keyboard courtesy of Shekhar from Flickr
These are the more modern version of virtual keyboards. These consist of a touch-type screen which acts as an interface between the user and the virtual keyboard that is presented on the screen. The user presses the screen itself to input their choice of characters. The major advantage of the such keyboard is its adaptability. For example, the Apple’s iPad has two different types of touch-type virtual keyboard – when held in portrait style, the virtual keyboard is different and smaller than the standard landscape style one.
Laser Virtual Keyboards
Virtual Projector Keyboard courtesy of Tateru from Flickr
Laser keyboards are keyboards in which you do not need to touch a special surface to interface with the device. These consist of a dispersed laser emitting device, which displays a virtual keyboard using the laser. Due to the way they work, by projecting a virtual keyboard on a surface, they are also called projection keyboards. This display can be made on any flat surface. The user interfaces with the machine by touching the displayed virtual keys on the said surface. The device will detect which key was pressed by tracking the user’s fingers by a radio or optical detection system.
Virtual Keyboards for Music
There is another type of virtual keyboard that has a different use than the mainstream class of virtual keyboards – these are the virtual keyboards that are used in the stead of pianos and other such keyboard music making instruments. Because of the spread of digital music making software, virtual music keyboards are some of the most popular ways of making music.
Popular Virtual Keyboards
Here are some of the most popular models of virtual keyboards, along with the devices they come with:
Click-N-Type virtual Keyboard is for people who have a disability or impairment that prevents them from using a physical keyboard. This is a Windows only program, and can be installed on XP/Vista or WIndows 7, among other Windows operating systems.
The Celluon laser keyboard is one of the most useful devices you can have, specially if you travel a lot, and do not wish to carry a bulky physical keyboard with you always. Another such keyboard is the projection keyboard from iTech. Note that this is still a developing field, and none of the projection keyboards have been popular as yet.
With the advent of touch based devices, be they mobile phones, ebook readers or tablet computers, it is almost certain that virtual keyboards will remain indispensable for the foreseeable future as a device that allows us to interface with computers. I have typed much of this article on my iPad, and I am convinced of that fact!
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