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Virtual keyboards composed of light rather than plastic and metal promise to one day free us from PDA, cell phone and smartphone bulky peripherals, cramped thumb-keyboards, and irritating keypads for text-entry. Although laser-created keyboards aren't new—iBIZ Technology shipped one last May—the technology hasn't been embraced by consumers or the wireless industry.

To improve the chances for its virtual keyboard to succeed, optical interface and projection technology specialist VKB, Inc. has joined the world's top smartphone platform provider's Symbian Platinum Program. The company views its Platinum status as a way to ensure the close integration of its solutions with the Symbian operating system (OS).

"By becoming a Symbian Platinum Partner, we can further expand the reach of our virtual keyboard and strengthen our relationships with users, application developers, smartphone manufacturers and carriers/network operators," declared VKB CEO Jonathan Curtiss.

For its part, Symbian turns to VKB as one way to maintain its edge in an increasingly competitive market, with the likes of Microsoft, Research In Motion (platform & device vendor), PalmSource and Linux all vying for a piece of the smartphone pie.

Symbian marketing VP Simon Garth said, "As Symbian OS phones become more popular and increasingly deployed into the mass market, users look for added functionality. The virtual keyboard is an innovative projection and detection system that complements Symbian OS smartphones very well."

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i.Tech Dynamic Ltd currently builds a standalone VKB-based accessory (see top image) that connects to a mobile device via Bluetooth wireless. Called BTVKB, the Bluetooth keyboard is composed of three modules: the projection module, the illumination module, and the sensor module.

The first module projects the keyboard image onto the adjacent surface using a red laser diode and diffractive optical element, while the illumination module projects an infrared beam of light just above the keyboard surface.

This light is invisible to the user and hovers a few millimeters above the surface. The sensor module detects the interaction of the finger with the IR beam. It receives this information, interprets the keystrokes, and communicates them back to a mobile device.

VKB, and no doubt Symbian, would like to see the virtual keyboard embedded right into phones and handhelds. The projection module would be shrunk to the point where it could fit right into mobile devices, negating the need for an add-on altogether.


Mock up of the Siemens SX1 Symbian OS smartphone with virtual keyboard embedded.

The company asserts original equipment manufacturers (OEM) appear ready to do just that with their Symbian OS handsets, another incentive for applying for Symbian Platinum Program entry. VKB did not say who these OEM's are, let alone what smartphone vendors they would be making these devices for, or when virtual keyboard-enabled smartphones would land on store shelves.