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Dasher
This is a recommended project.
You must read the disclaimer before downloading.
From the authors:
Dasher is a zooming interface. You point where you want to go, and the display zooms in wherever you point. The world into which you are zooming is painted with letters, so that any point you zoom in on corresponds to a piece of text. The more you zoom in, the longer the piece of text you have written. You choose what you write by choosing where to zoom.
To make the interface efficient, we use the predictions of a language model to determine how much of the world is devoted to each piece of text. Probable pieces of text are given more space, so they are quick and easy to select. Improbable pieces of text (for example, text with spelling mistakes) are given less space, so they are harder to write. The language model learns all the time: if you use a novel word once, it is easier to write next time.
A big advantage of Dasher over other predictive text-entry interfaces that offer word-completions to the user is that it is mode-free: the user does not need to switch from a writing mode to an "accept-model-predictions" mode.
Another advantage is that it is easy to train the model on any writing style: simply load up an example file, then write away!
OATS Comment:
Dasher is an amazing innovation on on-screen keyboards - although at first it might seem difficult, stick with it and you will be astounded at how efficient it is. Although mainly aimed at users who can use a mouse (or similar device) the Dasher team are working on a switch accessible version. There is also a version that works well with speech recognition software - Speech Dasher.
See Dasher in action:
David MacKay demonstrated Dasher at the Bett 2006 Special Needs Fringe and you can watch the video created by Leon Cych.Dasher 4.9.0 is now available for download from:
http://download.gnome.org/sources/dasher/4.9/
Windows binaries will shortly be available from:
http://www.dasher.org.uk/Download.html
Dasher is a predictive text input system for the GNOME Desktop, suitable for any situation in which a conventional keyboard cannot be used.
This is the first in a new development series, including a large number of improvements from a wide variety of contributors. As always, thanks to all Dasher developers and contributors. Please file any bug reports in the GNOME Bugzilla, and send any comments and feedback to dasher@mrao.cam.ac.uk
Dasher in other languages
Dasher can be used to write in almost any written language. Go to the Dasher project page to download training texts, if your Dasher download didn't already include them. Dasher works very nicely in German, French, Danish, Hindi, Russian, and many other languages.
Dasher with gaze-trackers
Dasher works very nicely with gaze-trackers, even if they are not well-calibrated. With practice, you can write at 29 words per minute by gaze alone; it's fun, a lot like driving a car. Dasher has a gaze-tracker mode, and has an
auto-calibrate gaze-trackeroption. The gaze-tracker mode makes it easier to correct errors, by just looking off the screen in the rough direction you want to go in. The auto-calibrate gaze-tracker option is very smart: it automatically infers the miscalibration of your gaze tracker, and modifies how Dasher responds accordingly.