How do i build a smart touchscreen keyboard?

[detoknight]

I am a B.Tech-ECE Final year student. I have an idea for a project.
Basically I want to create a touchscreen device as a replacement for the keyboard and mouse.
The qwerty keyboard on the touch screen display would come up whenever its required, or the user launches it (Like in the smartphones).
Otherwise, the touchscreen keyboard will have the following functions:
The keyboard will have a home button, which would bring up a list of application shortcuts (on the keyboard itself) and touching it will launch the application (Just like in the iphone)
(All these will be displayed on the touchscreen keyboard and the application itself would be launched, by the pc and shown on main monitor.)
The keyboard’s bottom will display a taskbar with running applications for easy switching…
We can also have gestural controls like pinch to zoom, two finger scrolling, swiping with 5 fingers to switch applications/workspace etc…
The list is limitless…
I understand, this is not ideal for windows 7 where almost every thing is achieved by mouse.
May be I could use a touch optimized OS like android, surface, or something u can suggest.
What I want to know is , is the project too big for me? If yes which parts can I eliminate and which can I do?
How do I go about the project? What is required? All ideas are welcome.

 

[brunofunchas]

Hi,

I think Mikroelektronika has some solution for GLCD.

Regards,
Bruno

 

[detoknight]

Thanks for the reply.
Are you talking about : MikroElektronika - SmartGLCD 240x128 Board - Serial Graphic LCD with Touch Screen
However, my application needs multitouch for gestural controls.
From the look of it, This one is resistive. Is there a way to make it a capacitive one?

 

[bigdogguru]

Basically I want to create a touchscreen device as a replacement for the keyboard and mouse.

Possible solutions depend largely on how much of the "creating" you want to take on. If you want to design a smart keyscreen from the ground up.

You can pickup a very nice Color LCD/Touchscreen for very reasonable prices

Color 24-Bit LCD 4.3" PSP 480x272

Color 24-Bit LCD 4.3" PSP Touch Screen

Which you can combine with virtually any development board.

Or if you want to concentrate on the software development, puchased a "canned" development platform, such as the MikroE SmartGLCD you posted above.

Other possibilities are:

**broken link removed**

The list is limitless…

And so it the list of possibilities!

Good luck with your project,

BigDog

 

[Brittany Snow]

How about the 3.5 inches? How to do then?

 

[detoknight]

@bigdoguru:
That was helpful. Thanks.
I would prefer the second type, although a little expensive. Moreover, with its capabilities, there are numerous possibilities. I can make the keyboard wireless and all with the wifi module.

As I am designing a keyboard, the 4.3" screens are not ideal. Can u suggest me say, a 7" touch screen Kit (tablet size)

Would this work?: **broken link removed**

 

[Brittany Snow]

3.5" is too small for me now. And I think the 7" touch screen is good. and I will do as you said.thank you.

 

[luben111]

I would suggest you check ezLCD mdules - **broken link removed**
They incorporate everything you need in one small, compact and well tested module. Any size screens are available, I'm very satisfied from these modules. You have enough space to put your code, development tools are free

 

[bigdogguru]

I can make the keyboard wireless and all with the wifi module.
As I am designing a keyboard, the 4.3" screens are not ideal. Can u suggest me say, a 7" touch screen Kit (tablet size)

Here are a few 7" development kits, you will definitely have to increase the horsepower of the processor as you increase the number of pixels to manage.



I've done quite a bit of business with the following company, Technologic Systems. They have excellent support and high quality products:

Technologic Systems TS-TPC-7390 7" LCD Touch Panel Computer

**broken link removed**

Would this work?: **broken link removed**

Possibly. However, they do not appear to go into specifics concerning the hardware makeup of their designs. Also their software development package appears to be proprietary to a large extent, which may limit the portability of developed code to their products. Also at $2530 they are definitely at the higher end of price ranges.

BigDog

 

[detoknight]

Thanks again.
The first one is resistive- so multi touch is out.
I am not able to find what kind of touch screens the other 3 are.

Anyways, do you think implementing multi touch gestures would be too difficult for me? I literally have zero practical experience in building stuff. ( but this, i gotta do)

 

[bigdogguru]

The first one is resistive- so multi touch is out.
I am not able to find what kind of touch screens the other 3 are.

You should be able to obtain information concerning the touchscreen for the Technologic Systems unit under the resource tab, most if not all the datasheets are there. If they are resistive, you maybe able to swap out the touchscreen pad with another unit using a different technology. I would also recommend contacting Technologic Systems directly, their customer support is excellent and they maybe able to offer other alternatives.

Anyways, do you think implementing multi touch gestures would be too difficult for me? I literally have zero practical experience in building stuff. ( but this, i gotta do)

Most of the above development boards have the option of using either Embedded Linux or Windows CE and there is broad support for both, especially for Linux. You should be able to find example implementations to aid in your design. Here again I would talk to Technologic Systems and tell them your design task, they should be able to point you in the right direction. That particular unit of theirs is used in a lot of industrial applications for process control, in other words a custom keyboard to control and monitor processes. An application that is not far from your own intended design.

BigDog

 

[detoknight]

Thanks. Will tell you how it goes.