Optimal Design of a Bengali Virtual Keyboard seeking improved user perception for a better text entry rate

In this paper an approach is proposed to derive an optimal layout of a Bengali Virtual Keyboard and hence forth seeking the desirable placement of all the keys in that layout within the constraints of space and the key size, thereby seeking to improve the text entry rate for an individual with normal human perception abilities. The approach is partly segmented in identifying the initial layout to work with, obtained through a design space exploration technique, which essentially forms an input to the Optimal Letter Arrangement algorithm. The algorithm involves a pool of keyboards to start with for each of which the theoretical text entry rate is evaluated based on Fitts’ hand movement law as the fitness function. The fit keyboards make a hop to the next generation after which they go through a randomization phase in letter arrangement and subsequent fitness evaluation. The unfit keyboards inherit a known layout and make the subsequent hop. A keyboard stops the procedure the moment its text entry rate becomes stagnant and pulls itself out of the pool. In the end the pool becomes empty and the keyboard having the highest text entry rate from the removed set of keyboards is chosen after which it is subjected to practical usage by the users. Keywords—Virtual keyboard, Fitts’ movement law, Bengali, optimal, layout.