Shorthand Writing on Stylus Keyboard

We propose a method for computer-based speed writing, SHARK (shorthand aided rapid keyboarding), which augments stylus keyboarding with shorthand gesturing. SHARK defines a shorthand symbol for each word according to its movement pattern on an optimized stylus keyboard. The key principles for the SHARK design include high efficiency stemmed from layout optimization,
duality of gesturing and stylus tapping, scale and location independent writing, the power of Zipf’s law, and skill transfer from tapping to shorthand writing due to pattern consistency. We developed a SHARK system based on a classic handwriting recognition algorithm. A user study shows that people could learn about 15 to 20 SHARK symbols at per hour of practice with expanding rehearsal interval. Future research directions are discussed.