High-Tech Keyboard Can Protect Passwords by Recognizing Typing Patterns

People worried about their identities getting stolen will be happy to hear about the development of a new keyboard that can tell if its owner is the one using it.

The prototype for the intelligent keyboard (IKB) recognizes users' typing patterns and can generate electricity through taps on the keys, according to Gizmodo.

A hydrophobic coating is able to keep the keyboard clean and free of dirt and grime.

In addition to denying access to intruders, the IKB will keep a record of what the intruder tried to type, keeping your personal information safe even from people who know your password, BetaBeat reported.

The keyboard can also use the energy it collects from typing to charge other small devices.

U.S. and Chinese researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems designed the keyboard to tell the difference between how different people type, such as pressure applied to keys, how fast the keys are tapped, Fast Company reported.

"In this work, the typing-induced electric signals can not only differentiate keystroke timing but also quantitatively record concrete dynamic changes in the course of typing using the self-generated electric current and voltage signals," the research team said in the study. "It offers an unprecedentedly accurate, unique, and permanent typing pattern for further verification and recognition purposes."

While the current version is only a prototype, the keyboard would provide a new way for people to protect their passwords if research continues, Fast Company reported.

A paper about the IKB, entitled "Personalized Keystroke Dynamics for Self-Powered Human-Machine Interfacing," was published in the journal ACS Nano.

Tags
Passwords, U.S., China, Georgia Institute of Technology
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