Abstract

We present FlickBoard, which combines a trackpad and a keyboard into the same interaction area to reduce hand movement between separate keyboards and trackpads. It supports automatic input mode detection and switching (ie. trackpad vs keyboard mode) without explicit user input. We developed a prototype by embedding a 58x20 capacitive sensing grid into a soft keyboard cover, and uses machine learning to distinguish between moving a cursor (trackpad mode) and entering text (keyboard mode). Our prototype has a thin profile and can be placed over existing keyboards.