1. How many hand signs do I need to learn to communicate in PIDT?
Answer: Only six (6). In contrast, ASL Fingerspelling requires learning 26 ambiguous handshapes.
2. Can I use PIDT to text any word, phrase or sentence using only six gestures?
Answer: Yes.
3. You call PIDT one-handed. Does that mean that I can text words using only one hand?
Answer: Yes.
4. What does a PIDT gesture comprise?
Answer: Five of the gestures are performed simply by bending a finger toward the palm of the hand. The sixth gesture is to bend all fingers toward the palm.
5. I want to try it out with my friend. How do we begin?
Answer: First face each other and hold up your hand so that your friend can see the palm of your hand (as if you are waving). Next try out the six gestures: Bend the thumb toward your palm, bend the index finger toward your palm, bend your middle finger toward your palm, bend your ring finger toward your palm, bend your little finger toward your palm, and finally, bend all your fingers toward your palm (called the "Common Gesture"). You have now performed all of the six gestures required to text with your friend.
6. How many gestures does it take to communicate a letter with your hand?
Answer: It takes only two gestures. We call it the First Gesture and the Second Gesture.
7. What is the relationship of the alphabet to texting with one hand?
Answer: Count the fingers on your hand and you will see five of them including the thumb. The alphabet has five vowels A, E, I, O and U that divide the alphabet into a system and order that makes it easy to use for communication. PIDT associates each of your fingers with a vowel in alphabetical order. The first gesture indicates the vowel set intended e.g.. A, E, I, O or U. Bending your thumb for the first gesture identifies A and its consonants B, C and D. Bending your index finger for the first gesture identifies E and its consonants F, G and H. Bending your middle finger as the first gesture identifies I and its consonants J, K, L, M and N. Bend your ring finger to indicate the first gesture for O and its consonants P, Q, R, S and T. Bend your little finger to identify U and its consonants V, W, X, Y and Z. The second gesture indicates which of the letters in each vowel set that is desired to be communicated. If the second gesture is the Common Gesture, the vowel is communicated. As an illustration if the first gesture is an index finger indicating the E vowel set and the second gesture is the Common Gesture, then the letter to be texted is an E. One other hand if the second gesture is any one of the fingers, a consonant is intended. If the second gesture is the thumb, the first consonant of the vowel set is communicated. For example, if the first gesture is the thumb, this communicates the "A" set of A, B, C and D. Then if the second gesture is the thumb, it communicates the first consonant: the "B", or if the second gesture is the index finger, the letter "C" has been texted. A paper and several videos demonstrating the ease of use are available on this website.
8. What are some of the attributes that make PIDT intuitive and predictable?
Answer: To begin with, we all learned the five vowels in their alphabetical sequence A, E, I, O and U. Associating each such vowel in sequence with the thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger respectively is intuitive. PIDT utilizes such association and calls it the First Gesture. Note that the number of first gestures to be memorized is very small. There are only five First Gestures. Secondly, most people have memorized or can recite the alphabet in which the sequence of letters is explicit. Moreover we have a sense that consonants such as B and C are in the early part of the alphabet, while S and T are toward the end of the alphabet. Additionally, in the already memorized sequence of letters of the alphabet, a vowel appears at the head of each group of no more than five consonants forming a vowel set (for instance: A bcd or O pqrst). Accordingly, identifying a sequential group of consonants in alphabetical order by their preceding vowel is also intuitive. Identifying the group of letters is accomplished via the First Gesture. Next, the Second Gesture identifies the particular letter desired from that group of letters in any vowel set. This is accomplished by the Second Gesture associating the alphabetical sequence of letters in each vowel set with the sequence of fingers to provide certainty and predictability. To illustrate using two consonants in the A vowel set: the letter b is the first consonant following A and is therefore associated with the thumb, while the letter c is associated with the index finger and the d is associated with the middle finger. The letters b, c and d are all associated with the vowel A. This concept is similar to ubiquitous touch screens whereby touching one 'control' on-screen button makes available other on-screen keys intuitively associated with such control key. For instance, pressing the hamburger button on a screen - may provide associated on screen key choices such as pickle, lettuce, union, ketchup or mayonnaise.
9. Why is it easy for a person to read and understand the PIDT handsigns?
Answer: There are only six (6) handsigns to know. The signs for texting are simple and certain. The person texting and the person reading the hand signs are both using the same system, logic and order inherent in the alphabet to communicate. Additionally, the First Gesture communicates a particular vowel of only five vowel choices and the Second Gesture communicates the intended letter to be texted by identifying the position of that letter in a small group of letters.
10. Can the PIDT one-handed method be used in any manner other than personal face-to-face communication?
Answer: Yes. Other uses include texting with an electronic glove, or robotic hand, or for entering text into a computer, laptop, or handheld using one hand and a video camera to film the hand signs.
11. Does PIDT have gestures other than the letters of the alphabet?
Answer? Yes. The videos listed in the Videos Tab demonstrate hand gestures for Space, Period, Comma, and Question Mark.
12. Is there an analogous text entry method for handhelds, computers, mobile phones, Web tablets, digital remote controls, or laptops?
Answer: Yes, it is called the Phraze-It Text Entry Method for all of the above. You can learn more about these patented and patent pending methods at www.prevalentdevices.com
13. Does PIDT work in other languages?
Answer: Yes. For example, in addition to English, PIDT should work well in languages such as Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Spanish and Swedish, among others.
14. Are you interested in working with researchers?
Answer: Yes. We are interested in hearing from researchers, and are further interested in cooperating or collaborating with researchers in a host of allied fields.
© 2008 Prevalent Devices LLC
All Rights Reserved
Phraze-It® is a trademark of Prevalent Devices LLC
All other trademarks and logos are trademarks of their owners
The method described is subject to one or more patents or patent applications. Refer strictly to the patents for a description of their contents.
Hand Signals are also protected under Copyright Laws.
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