SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will determine the feasibility of developing a natural and easy system for input and editing of mathematical notation on a computer. Computer interfaces have made great progress in most areas, but communication of mathematical notation to computers remains unnatural and slow. It is believed that handwritten input of mathematical notation will be efficient and natural to users. The proposed Phase I work includes: collection of handwritten mathematical data; research into algorithms for recognizing and editing mathematical notation; and investigation into how to effectively integrate these capabilities into a natural user interface. The market for natural and efficient input of mathematical notation is potentially very large. This technology would allow the development of a range of innovative products catering to students and professionals in many technical, business and educational fields. Examples include: handhold calculators which accept symbolic problems as easily as numeric ones, word processors easier to use than pencil and paper for input of mathematical notation; easy communication of mathematical notation over computer networks; and others.

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will develop a prototype handwriting based input system for mathematical notation which demonstrates the ease of use, recognition accuracy and editing power required to make computer input of mathematical equations easier than writing them on a pad of paper. This will solve the persistent problem of tedious and difficult input methods for text formatters, technical assistants and other systems which require input of mathematical notation. The proposed work includes collection of handwritten mathematical data, investigation of a usable interface and editing system, and research into a fast and accurate recognizer for handwritten notation. The market for natural and efficient input of mathematical notation is potentially very large, spread across a range of innovative products for students and professionals in many technical, business and educational fields. Potential applications include easy electronic communication of mathematical notation; far more productive word processors for technical notation; handheld calculators which accept symbolic problems as easily as numeric ones; and others. CIC is in a strong position to pursue commercialization. Its licensees include IBM, NEC, Nortel and many others.