{"366871":{"#nid":"366871","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Self-powered intelligent keyboard could provide a new layer of security","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy analyzing such parameters as the force applied by key presses and the time interval between them, a new self-powered non-mechanical intelligent keyboard could provide a stronger layer of security for computer users. The self-powered device generates electricity when a user\u2019s fingertips contact the multi-layer plastic materials that make up the device.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis intelligent keyboard changes the traditional way in which a keyboard is used for information input,\u201d said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regents professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cEvery punch of the keys produces a complex electrical signal that can be recorded and analyzed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConventional keyboards record when a keystroke makes a mechanical contact, indicating the press of a specific key. The intelligent keyboard records each letter touched, but also captures information about the amount of force applied to the key and the length of time between one keystroke and the next. Such typing style is unique to individuals, and so could provide a new biometric for securing computers from unauthorized use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to providing a small electrical current for registering the key presses, the new keyboard could also generate enough electricity to charge a small portable electronic device or power a transmitter to make the keyboard wireless.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn effect known as contact electrification generates current when the user\u2019s fingertips touch a plastic material on which a layer of electrode material has been coated. Voltage is generated through the triboelectric and electrostatic induction effects. Using the triboelectric effect, a small charge can be produced whenever materials are brought into contact and then moved apart.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur skin is dielectric and we have electrostatic charges in our fingers,\u201d Wang noted. \u201cAnything we touch can become charged.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the self-powered feature could provide a convenience benefit and potentially eliminate the need for batteries in wireless keyboards, Wang believes the major impact of the device may be in helping to secure computers by using individual typing patterns or habits as a biometric.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis has the potential to be a new means for identifying users,\u201d he said. \u201cWith this system, a compromised password would not allow a cyber-criminal onto the computer. The way each person types even a few words is individual and unique.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo evaluate the authentication potential of the keyboard, the research team asked 104 persons to type the word \u201ctouch\u201d four times, and recorded the electrical patterns produced. Using signal analysis techniques, they were able to differentiate individual typing patterns with low error rates, Wang said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead of individual mechanical keys as in traditional keyboards, Wang\u2019s intelligent keyboard is made up of vertically-stacked transparent film materials. Researchers begin with a layer of polyethylene terephthalate between two layers of indium tin oxide (ITO) that form top and bottom electrodes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENext, a layer of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) is applied onto the ITO surface to serve as an electrification layer that generates triboelectric charges when touched by fingertips. FEP nanowire arrays are formed on the exposed FEP surface through reactive ion etching.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe keyboard\u2019s operation is based on coupling between contact electrification and electrostatic induction, rather than the traditional mechanical switching. When a finger contacts the FEP, charge is transferred at the contact interface, injecting electrons from the skin into the material and creating a positive charge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen the finger moves away, the negative charges on the FEP side induces positive charges on the top electrode, and equal amounts of negative charges on the bottom electrode.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EConsecutive keystrokes produce a periodic electrical field that drives reciprocating flows of electrons between the electrodes. Though eventually dissipating, the charges remain on the FEP surface for an extended period of time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang believes the new smart keyboard will be competitive with existing keyboards, in both cost and durability. The new device is based on inexpensive materials that are widely used in the electronics industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the study, his research group evaluated the keyboard under challenging conditions, including application of moisture, dirt and oil. \u201cYou could pour coffee on the keyboard, and it would not be damaged,\u201d said Wang. \u201cBecause it is based on a sheet of plastic, liquids will not hurt it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research was reported December 30 online in the journal \u003Cem\u003EACS Nano\u003C\/em\u003E. It was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Basic Energy Sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Wang, the research team included first author Jun Chen from Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Materials Science and Engineering; Guang Zhu from the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems; Jin Yang from Chongqing University; Qingshen Jing, Peng Bai, Weiqing Yang, and Yuanjie Su from Georgia Tech; and\u0026nbsp;Xuewei Qi from the University of California, Riverside.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based on work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under award DE-FG02-07ER46394. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the DOE.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECITATION\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jun Chen, et al., \u201cPersonalized Keystroke Dynamics for Self-Powered Human-Machine Interfacing,\u201d (ACS Nano 2014). \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1021\/nn506832w\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1021\/nn506832w\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1021\/nn506832w\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-894-6986) or Brett Israel (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) (404-385-1933).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy analyzing such parameters as the force applied by key presses and the time interval between them, a new self-powered non-mechanical intelligent keyboard could provide a stronger layer of security for computer users. The self-powered device generates electricity when a user\u2019s fingertips contact the multi-layer plastic materials that make up the device.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new self-powered non-mechanical intelligent keyboard could provide a stronger layer of security for computer users."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2015-01-22 11:59:27","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:17:54","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2015-01-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"366861":{"id":"366861","type":"image","title":"Intelligent keyboard for improved security2","body":null,"created":"1449245817","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:16:57","changed":"1475895103","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:43","alt":"Intelligent keyboard for improved security2","file":{"fid":"201712","name":"intelligent-keyboard5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/intelligent-keyboard5_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/intelligent-keyboard5_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2035840,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/intelligent-keyboard5_0.jpg?itok=K1ZPxsqs"}},"366851":{"id":"366851","type":"image","title":"Intelligent keyboard for improved security","body":null,"created":"1449245817","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:16:57","changed":"1475895103","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:43","alt":"Intelligent keyboard for improved security","file":{"fid":"201711","name":"intelligent-keyboard2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/intelligent-keyboard2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/intelligent-keyboard2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1579627,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/intelligent-keyboard2_0.jpg?itok=HktuhHJ5"}}},"media_ids":["366861","366851"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"9223","name":"computer security"},{"id":"6019","name":"keyboard"},{"id":"169401","name":"self-powered"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}