General Competition (March 1991)

New User-Interface for Computers Based on On-Line Recognition of Natural Handwriting

Sponsor: Communication Intelligence Corporation

• Project Performance Period: 4/1/1991 - 9/30/1993
• Total project (est.): $2,176,406.00
• Requested ATP funds: $1,264,332.00

In 1990, the value of computers and peripherals produced in the United States came to more than $63 billion, yet studies have shown that no more than about 5 percent of the population uses computers at even the most elementary level. A system that allows people to interact with computers using their own "natural" (cursive) handwriting should significantly expand this important market. Handwriting input also offers significant advantages over all other data input technologies for applications like text editing and filling standard forms. The technology will also be critical to the expanding market for laptop and pocket computers--estimated to reach $50 billion by 1995--because the computer keyboard is the limiting technology in further reducing the size and weight of these devices. CIC's research plan is to create a large database of cursive handwriting for evaluating such systems, test and improve current handwriting recognition algorithms and extend them to European languages, evaluate the potential of new approaches to handwriting recognition, and merge these approaches in a robust handwriting-recognition system that is independent of the user--that is, one that does not require "training" the computer to recognize each individual user's handwriting.

For project information:

Francis V. Dane, (415) 802-7888

ATP Project Manager

Jack Boudreaux, (301) 975-3560
jack.boudreaux@nist.gov