Lexicus Corp, the Palo Alto handwriting recognition software developer acquired by Motorola Inc last year (CI No 2,296), is set to go with its flagship Lexicus Longhand Handwriting Recognition Software for Developers. Claimed to be the first cursive handwriting recognition software designed for the Windows for Pen operating system, the software applies neural network technology to recognise and correct natural handwriting – cursive, print or a mixture of the two – and is claimed to provide faster and more accurate recognition than previously available. The neural network technology is used to train the Lexicus Longhand system to recognise natural handwriting. Lexicus sees Longhand being used in medical applications such as prescription writing, psychiatric notes and clinical drug trials, and sales force automation, market surveys and police incident reports. It is claimed to be able to correct spelling errors and accommodate difficult-to-recognise cursive handwriting. Accuracy is derived from a 25,000 word built-in dictionary with a customisable user dictionary to correct errors on the fly, anticipate common user words, and recognise proper nouns. It is claimed to do its thing at 12 characters per second, making handwritten text more legible, readable and more efficiently stored. Lexicus Longhand is user-installable without additional hardware or software beyond the Windows for Pen requirements, the company says, and is writer-independent, easily learned and does not require training. Lexicus Longhand learns each user’s vocabulary and adapts to the user’s subject matter, but it can also accommodate multiple users in a shared environment. It converts cursive handwriting to ASCII, the American Code for Information Exchange format, saving space and enabling users to save text on notebooks and input text to client-server and enterprise-wide computer systems. Saved text can then be searched for key words at a later date – all of which explains why Motorola thought that a company working in such a currently unfashionable and unfancied niche was worth buying. The developer version of Lexicus Longhand will be shipping next month and will sell for $150.
