Input Devices
Keyboards
The most common of all input devices is the keyboant Several versions of keyboards are
available. The best and most expensive of these is the full-stroke keyboard. This is ideal for
word processing and other volume data and program entry activities: This type of keyboard is
available with most mainframe computer terminals or the expensive microcomputer systema
Some popular microcomputers offer enhanced keybound for easy entry of numbers
The keyboard originated from the typewriter invented by Christopher Sholes in 1868,
featuring the QWERTY layout. With the computer age, electromechanical keyboards
emerged in the mid-20th century. The ASCII standard in the 1960s standardized keyboard
characters. Advancements led to membrane and mechanical switches in the 1980s and
1990s. Keyboards evolved further with wireless tech, adding multimedia keys and ergonomic
designs. Alternative layouts like Dvorak and Colemak also gained attention alongside the
traditional QWERTY.
Other Input Devices:
Punched Card
The punched card has served as an input medium to automated computational devices. It has
undergone little or no change since that time, and most companies have phased out and
replaced it with the more efficient data entry media. Among the punched card devices still in
use is the punched card reader. The reading of punched cards takes place at speeds ranging
from hundred fifty to more than two thousand five hundred cards per minute.
Punched cards date back to the late 18th century and were initially used in textile looms to
automate weaving patterns. Herman Hollerith adapted them for data processing in the late
19th century, employing them in tabulating machines for the 1890 US Census. Punched cards
became a primary method for data input and storage in early computing, especially in the
mid-20th century. However, they became obsolete with the advent of more efficient storage
methods like magnetic tapes and direct data entry systems by the late 20th century.
Key-to-Tape and Key-to-Disk Systems
In a key-to-tape system, data entered at a keyboard are recorded directly on magnetic tape.
The magnetic tape used is similar to the tape cartridge or cassette used with home recorders
Accuracy is verified by placing the recording tape into a magnetic tape verifier and having the
original data retyped. Magnetic tape encoders and verifiers are generally housed in the same
physical unit. Errors detected are corrected simply by erasing the mistakes and substituting the
correct character(s).
Key-to-Tape and Key-to-Disk systems were early data entry methods in computing. Key-to-
Tape involved entering data from keyboards onto magnetic tapes for storage and processing.
Introduced in the mid-20th century, this method allowed for sequential storage and retrieval
of information.
Character Readers
A character reader is capable of accepting printed or typed characters from source documents
and converting these data into a computer acceptable code. Currently available high-speed
character readers are capable of reading source documents at rates of up to several thousand
documents per minute and are costly. The three basic types of character readers are magnetic
- ink, optical mark, and optical character readers.
Magnetic-ink Character Readers
Magnetic-Ink Character Recognition (MICR) was developed by the Stanford Research Institute
for use by the world's largest bank, the Bank of America. This system can read data
prerecorded on checks and deposit slips with a special ferrite-impregnated ink. The
magnetized characters can be read and interpreted by MICR equipment.
The invention of Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) technology is attributed to a
collaborative effort between Stanford University and Bank of America in the late 1950s. The
team of engineers and researchers, including Stanford's Kenneth Eldredge and Bank of
America's E. H. Michelson, developed MICR as a solution for automating check processing.
They devised the specialized ink containing magnetic particles and created machines
equipped with readers capable of detecting and interpreting the magnetic characters. This
innovation revolutionized the banking industry's check processing systems, enhancing
accuracy and efficiency in handling financial transactions.
Optical Mark Readers
Optical mark readers (OMR) optically read marks on carefully printed form. Optical mark forms
are relatively expensive, as they must be printed with exact tislerances so that me marks will
up under the optical sensing devices when read (Figure 4.3) The most popular use of such
devices is optical character readers for scoring examinations in educational institutions
The invention of Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) technology, commonly known as Optical
Mark Readers, is attributed to Reynold B. Johnson, an engineer at IBM. In the late 1960s,
Johnson developed OMR to automate the grading of standardized tests. OMR systems use
light sensors to detect pencil marks on predefined areas, allowing for quick and accurate
data collection from multiple-choice forms, surveys, and ballots. This innovation significantly
streamlined data collection and processing in various fields, including education, market
research, and elections.
Optical Character Readers (OCR)
Optical character recognition (OCR) devices can convert data from source documents to a
machinerecognizable form. Current applications of optical scanning include billing insurance
premium notices, and charge sales voices. At present, on OCR device can reliably read and
interpret script or handwriting However, some can read handwriting provided that certain
general guidelines are observed when the data are written. Generally, optical character
readers arelented with respect to hand written characters and can only read handwritten
digits and some gymbols Many OCR devices are available for the reading of typed characters,
including digits, letters and some special characters. Not all printed characters can be read
reliably on OCR readers. Generally, each readers capable of reading only selected character
styles
Even if the character style and spacing are acceptable, errors can result from reading
character that is not written perfectly. To reduce such errors, OCR devices generally compare
the pattern read with the pattems to all acceptable character. The reed character is assumed
to be the character whose stored pattern most closely matches the read pamem. This process
is shown in figure below that shows character reads compare the digitized mats of an
unknown character against a stored set of templates
The concept of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) dates back to the 1920s. Gustav
Tauschek, an Austrian inventor, developed one of the earliest OCR devices capable of
recognizing individual characters. However, the modern development and commercialization
of OCR technology are often credited to Raymond Kurzweil. In the late 1970s, Kurzweil
introduced the first commercially successful OCR system, which could recognize printed text
and convert it into machine-readable digital formats. His advancements in OCR technology
laid the foundation for its widespread use in document scanning, text recognition, and
digitization processes across various industries.
Light Pen
The earliest pointing device is the light pen. This device is placed close to a screen or monitor
and turned on. A photo sensor inside the light pen detects the scanning beam sweeping back
and forth across the screen. Accompanying circuitry converts the pen's reading into the
position of the pen on the screen. Light pens are used to select items from a list or menu
displayed on the screen. Light pens are used to select items from a list or menu displayed on
the screen and to draw graphic displays on the video screen.
The invention of the light pen is attributed to Dr. Douglas Engelbart in the early 1950s while
he was working at SRI International. Engelbart developed the light pen as a pointing device
that could interact with computer screens. This pen-shaped input device was designed to
detect light emitted from a cathode-ray tube (CRT) display when the user tapped or pointed
at specific areas on the screen. The light pen allowed for direct interaction with the computer
display, pioneering early forms of graphical user interfaces and paving the way for future
input devices like touchscreens and styluses.
Digitizer Pad
A digitized pad looks like a graph pad with a pointer. It functions like a light pen on a display
screen except that the pad is mounted horizontally. As the pointer is moved on the pad, the
corresponding point on the screen is illuminated. The digitized pad is useful in converting
graphic input, such as charts, graphs, and blueprints into patterns that can be manipulated
and stored by the computer
The digitizer pad, also known as a graphics tablet or digitizing tablet, was invented by Dr. G.
Samuel Hurst in the late 1940s. Hurst, working at the National Bureau of Standards (now
NIST), developed the first digitizer pad as a device to capture handwriting and drawings
electronically. This technology used a flat pad and a stylus that emitted electromagnetic
signals, allowing precise tracking of the pen's movement on the pad. The digitizer pad
enabled users to create digital representations of hand-drawn images and text, becoming an
essential tool in graphic design, computer-aided design (CAD), and various artistic
applications.
Mouse
A mouse is a hand-movable device that controls the position of the cursor on a screen. It has a
box with buttons on the top and a ball on the bottom. The box is placed on a flat surface, with
the user's hand over it. The ball's movement on the surface causes the cursor to move.
The computer mouse was invented by Douglas Engelbart and his team at the Stanford
Research Institute (SRI) in the 1960s. Engelbart, along with his colleague Bill English,
developed the first prototype of the mouse as a pointing device to interact with computers.
This early mouse was a wooden shell housing two perpendicular wheels that tracked
movement along two axes. Engelbart famously demonstrated this invention during the
"Mother of All Demos" in 1968, showcasing its ability to navigate a graphical user interface.
The mouse revolutionized human-computer interaction, eventually becoming an integral
part of personal computing.
Joystick and Trackball
Joysticks are used with video games for user input. These devices may also be used to move
the cursor around a screen to facilitate input to a graphical display. A trackball is similar in
operation to the joystick. It uses a billiard-sized ball to position the cursor. Several keyboard
manufacturers have integrated them directly into their keyboards.
The joystick was developed by C. B. Mirick and patented in 1926. It was initially used as a
control device for aircraft. The invention provided a method for pilots to manipulate control
surfaces, allowing for smoother and more precise maneuvering.
The trackball, on the other hand, was invented by Ralph Benjamin in 1946. Originally called
the "roller ball," it was a part of a British Royal Navy radar system, used for position plotting.
The device consisted of a ball that could be rotated to control a cursor on a screen, offering a
novel way to input data.
Both the joystick and trackball innovations later found applications in various fields beyond
aviation and military radar systems, becoming popular input devices in gaming, computing,
and other interactive technologies.
Touchscreen
Touchscreen detects the touch of a human finger. One popular technique used to detect the
touch of a finger utilizes infrared light beams. In this technique, infrared light beams shine
horizontally and vertically on the face of the screen. A pointing finger interrupts both
horizontal and vertical beams, pointing its exact location.
The invention of the touchscreen can be attributed to several pioneers. One notable early
development was by E.A. Johnson in the mid-1960s, who created a capacitive touchscreen
while working at the Royal Radar Establishment in the UK. His work laid the groundwork for
modern capacitive touchscreens.
Later, in the 1970s, Dr. Sam Hurst, while working at the University of Kentucky, developed the
"Elograph," an early form of resistive touchscreen technology. His invention aimed to create a
touch-sensitive screen for use in various applications.
These inventions paved the way for the advancement and commercialization of touchscreen
technology, which has since become ubiquitous in various devices, including smartphones,
tablets, ATMs, and interactive displays.
