Overview

EdgeWrite is a unistroke text entry method that works on a variety of devices. Its benefits include increased physical stability, tactility, accuracy, and the ability to function with very minimal sensing. The innovative alphabet allows letter-like gestures to be made on almost any device, often where text entry was not formerly feasible.

EdgeWrite contributes multiple innovations in text entry, including continuous recognition feedback, non-recognition retry, slip detection, a four-way scroll ring, and in-stroke word completion.

Character Set

The EdgeWrite character set is the same for all versions. An important feature of the character set is that most characters closely mimic Roman letters and Arabic numerals, increasing guessability, learnability, and memorability. Another feature is that there are multiple forms of most characters, again increasing guessability. [Character Chart]

Word-level Stroking

Almost all versions of EdgeWrite now support word-level stroking, a design that allows regular character unistrokes to coexist alongside extended unistrokes that produce entire words. See individual versions for more details on word-level stroking, or the developer's page, which contains the necessary data files. [Paper1] [Paper2]

Patent

EdgeWrite is patented under U.S. Patent #7,729,542. [Patent]

Dissertation

Co-winner of the SCS Distinguished Dissertation Award 2006-2007, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University.
EdgeWrite: A Versatile Design for Text Entry and Control by Jacob O. Wobbrock.

People

Jacob O. Wobbrock, Brad A. Myers, Duen Horng Chau, Htet Htet Aung, Brandon Rothrock, John A. Kembel, Iván E. González.