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Publications

Dasher Manual and Special Needs Guide

Dasher in Korean

A six-page paper by David MacKay:

Key Research Papers

Most of the original research work on Dasher was done by David Ward.

Between 1999 and 2002, three assessments of Dasher were made, comparing it with alternative text entry systems on three platforms:

  • One-handed text-entry using mouse alone
  • Text-entry on a pocket PC with a stylus
  • Text-entry with no hands, using Dasher with an Eyetracker

The details can be found in David Ward's PhD thesis and in the publications listed below.

Mouse-driven Dasher

Dasher - a Data Entry Interface Using Continuous Gestures and Language Models

by David J Ward, Alan F Blackwell and David J C MacKay

In proceedings UIST 2000

View figures showing the main results

Eyetracker-driven Dasher

Fast Hands-free Writing by Gaze Direction

by David J. Ward and David J.C. MacKay

Submitted to Nature April 2002. Published August 22 2002

Hands-free Text Entry using Dasher with an Eyetracker

A one-page flyer by David J. Ward and David J.C. MacKay

Article from ACNR magazine

Dasher - an efficient keyboard alternative by David MacKay

PDF (one page)

Tiny A5 Flyer about Dasher

Dasher - Information-efficient text entry

PDF (one page)

Article for Glot International magazine

Dasher - an efficient keyboard alternative by David MacKay

PDF (4 pages)

Article for Interfaces magazine

Dasher - an efficient keyboard alternative by David MacKay

PDF (5 pages)

Related Research (Newest First)

This list is synced from our curated bibliography and sorted by publication date (newest first) to highlight recent relevant work.

Browse the full shared bibliography on Paperpile

Showing 23 papers • Updated February 25, 2026.

Predictive tree-based virtual keyboard for improved gaze typing

Etikikota, Hrushikesh, Meena, Yogesh Kumar

arXiv [cs.HC] • 2024

40 years of eye typing: Challenges, gaps, and emergent strategies

Hamid, Aleesha, Kristensson, Per Ola

Proc. ACM Hum. Comput. Interact. • 2024

Bridging the communication rate gap: Enhancing text input for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)

Yusufali, Hussein, Goetze, Stefan, Moore, Roger K

Lecture Notes in Computer Science • 2023

Eye movements and human-computer interaction

Majaranta, Päivi, Räihä, Kari-Jouko, Hyrskykari, Aulikki, Špakov, Oleg

Eye Movement Research • 2019

Modelling noise-resilient single-switch scanning systems

Nel, Emli-Mari, Kristensson, Per Ola, MacKay, David J C

arXiv [cs.HC] • 2017

An evaluation of Dasher with a high-performance language model as a gaze communication method

Rough, Daniel, Vertanen, Keith, Kristensson, Per Ola

Proceedings of the 2014 International Working Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces • 2014

Eye gaze techniques for human computer interaction: A research survey

Sharma, Anjana, Abrol, Pawanesh

Int. J. Comput. Appl. • 2013

Text input rate enhancement for Tobii AAC products

Axelsson, Pelle, Onoszko, Arthur

Royal Institute of Technology • 2013

The potential of dwell-free eye-typing for fast assistive gaze communication

Kristensson, Per Ola, Vertanen, Keith

Proceedings of the Symposium on Eye Tracking Research and Applications • 2012

Fast and flexible selection with a single switch

Broderick, Tamara, Mackay, David J C

PLoS One • 2009

Text Entry by Eye Gaze

Majaranta, Päivi

Tampereen yliopisto • 2009

Low-cost gaze interaction: ready to deliver the promises

San Agustin, Javier, Skovsgaard, Henrik, Hansen, John P, Hansen, Dan W

Proceedings of the 27th international conference extended abstracts on Human factors in computing systems • 2009

Now Dasher! Dash away! longitudinal study of fast text entry by Eye Gaze

Tuisku, Outi, Majaranta, Päivi, Isokoski, Poika, Räihä, Kari-Jouko

Proceedings of the 2008 symposium on Eye tracking research & applications • 2008

Noise tolerant selection by gaze-controlled pan and zoom in 3D

Hansen, Dan Witzner, Skovsgaard, Henrik H T, Hansen, John Paulin, Møllenbach, Emilie

Proceedings of the 2008 symposium on Eye tracking research & applications - ETRA '08 • 2008

Bliss-Dasher - Efficient semantic writing with any muscle

David MacKay, Seb Wills,, Annalu Waller

2007

Optimal codes for human beings

Zielinski, Piotr

2006

A comparative usability study of two Japanese gaze typing systems

Itoh, Kenji, Aoki, Hirotaka, Hansen, John Paulin

Proceedings of the 2006 symposium on Eye tracking research & applications - ETRA '06 • 2006

Gaze typing compared with input by head and hand

Hansen, John P, Tørning, Kristian, Johansen, Anders S, Itoh, Kenji, Aoki, Hirotaka

Proceedings of the 2004 symposium on Eye tracking research & applications • 2004

Dasher \_ an efficient keyboard alternative

MacKay, David

Adv. Clin. Neurosci. Rehabil. • 2003

Fast Hands-free writing by Gaze Direction

D. J. Ward, D. J. C. MacKay

Nature • 2002

Dasher---a data entry interface using continuous gestures and language models

Ward, David J, Blackwell, Alan F, MacKay, David J C

Proceedings of the 13th annual ACM symposium on User interface software and technology - UIST '00 • 2000

Dasher – an efficient keyboard alternative

Mackay, David

Written for Glot International, a web based linguistic journal.

Dasher – an efficient keyboard alternative

Mackay, David

Interfaces magazine

Speech-Dasher Prototype

Keith Vertanen has made nice videos of his prototype speech-recognition/Dasher hybrid.

www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/kv227/speechdasher/