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MathBoard

Prototype fa-solid fa-pen-fancy orange
Reg. ID : 13170
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Description

As we are living in the digital age, online classes and paperless documentation have overtaken handwriting. The digital representation of text story has started by the invention of the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII). This invention made it possible to represent some letters and characters in computer. However, it was limited to 127 characters (capital letters, small letters, digits, and punctuation marks). Non-western languages such as Arabic language and Chinese language were only possible to be typed in computer after the invention of Unicode. This Unicode has the ability to represent more than 65000 characters including emojis and math characters. Typing text in different languages is possible now as keyboards support multiple languages. However, when it comes to math, there are a lot of symbols such as integration, root square, and fractions are not easy to type. They might be available, but require multiple steps to be typed in. This proposed keyboard provides a way to type any symbol by pressing only one key. This would save time and ease the process of typing mathematical scripts.

Highlights

Due to the increase of online classes and digital documentation, typing text on computer has become essential. Keyboards now support different languages, but when it comes to math and some special symbols, the task seem to be quite inconvenient. This is because typing these symbols is not done directly using one key press. However, it requires either additional software or memorizing some codes and typing them using series of keys. Our invention would overcome the complexity of typing math symbols on computer. This task usually requires juggling between different menus to obtain the right symbol, or pressing different keys on keyboard, or inserting a complicated code to do so. For example, to print the division symbol (÷) in Microsoft word, you need to go to insert menu, then choosing insert a symbol or equation, and finally searching for the right symbol. Alternatively, you need to press different keys, which are: 0 key, then 0 key again, then F key, then 7 key, and finally press Alt and X keys together. These two ways are defiantly complicated and time consuming. By using our developed keyboard, one key is enough to insert any math symbol. The microprocessor Raspberry Pi Pico is used here to control the keyboard and send the Unicode signal to the text processor. The right character signal is sent to the raspberry Pi using some tactile buttons. Raspberry Pi and the tactile buttons are mounted on a breadboard. Finally, all these components are connected together using jumper wires. Raspberry Pi has about 40 ports plus micro-USB port. The micro-USB port (purple colour) is used to connect the microprocessor with the computer. The other 40 ports have power ports (red colour) which provide 3.3 volt and ground (black colour) which is 0 volt. Some other ports named GP (yellow colour) are general purpose ports which are used to send or receive control signals. In our projects, Power ports and GP ports are used. One side of the buttons is connected to the 3.3v pin, and the other side is connected to the GP port to send the control signal The hardware is programmed using python programming language so when a certain button is pressed, a specific Unicode signal will be sent to the word processor and type the corresponding math character. We would like to collaborate with online math tuition canters in the future to help ease their process of teaching when it includes symbols that exceeded the capabilities of a normal keyboard. Our group believes that our project would be a great movement going forward in the field of online education and overall, a great step forward for all aspiring mathematicians.

Contact Person/Inventor

Name Email Contact Phone
Youssef Mohamed Sherif Abdelmoneim happenings.secondary@idrissischool.edu.my 012-5285006
Illiyyin Zahra binti Mohamad Zahid
Emmir Danisy Halimi bin Erman Halimi
Megat Bilal 'Abidin
Muhammad Nuruddeen bin Mohd Zarihi
Iman Al Farissi bin Faizol Radzi
Nuha Mior Azly
Aryssa Nur Iman binti Norasazly
Irdina binti Mohd Helmi
Yahya Shreif Othman
Josef bin Roslan

Award

Award Title Award Achievement Award Year Received
Malaysia technology expo - 2023

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