PZBoard: A Prediction-based Zooming Interface for Supporting Text Entry on a Mobile Device

We propose Predictive Zooming Keyboard (PZBoard) which predicts a target position from the finger movement above the touch-screen of a mobile device and that enlarges a part of the keyboard around the predicted position. We use a hover function of the mobile device to obtain the finger position above the touch-screen. While a finger is detected, a part of the keyboard around the finger position are enlarged. When the user moves his/her finger fast to enter a distant key, the target position is predicted and the center of enlargement moves to the predicted position. Using prediction, the system can start drawing the screen before the finger reaches the target position, which reduces the system’s latency and quickens the user’s response. The proposed interface does not force the user to perform additional operation for enlarging keys, and enables stable selection of both near and distant keys by fixing or changing the center of enlargement based on the velocity of the finger.
Toshiaki Aiyoshizawa, Naoto Koarai, Takashi Komuro: PZBoard: A Prediction-based Zooming Interface for Supporting Text Entry on a Mobile Device, Proc. 18th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services (MobileHCI 2016), pp. 627-632 (2016)

[@Fiyaaaahh]

It doesn't look like this new keyboard is able to support the typing speed of the average teenager.

[@FredericPollmann]

That looks very similar to my research project "HoverZoom Keyboard" (dm.tzi.de/hoverzoom-keyboard) that I presented at CHI 2014. Very interesting approach to use the movement speed of the finger to predict which letter the user intends to touch.
How big of a problem is the latency in your case? In my measurements the average latency was about 250 ms and this unfortunately made the prototype not easy to use.