#Ten typing fingers how to#

While the left hand was always kept on the same position, the right hand would frequently move from one side to the other, covering a large number of keys. Interestingly, most participants used their left and right hand very differently. For example, fast typists have learned to keep their hands fixed on one position, instead of moving them over the keyboard, and more consistently use the same finger to type a certain letter. The motion capture data showed that, instead of the number of fingers, there are other factors that predict typing speed. The motion tracking data exposes it, and for the first time we can exactly say which finger presses which key,' explains Dr. 'When you ask a person which fingers they use for typing, they cannot tell much. Similar high fidelity systems have been used in professional film-making. Therefore they placed reflective markers on the joints of the fingers and recorded their position with 12 high-speed infrared cameras. To record the exact finger movements during typing, the researchers used a so called optical motion capture system.

This is the first study that explores how people type if they never learned the touch typing system. 'We were surprised to observe that people who took a typing course, performed at similar average speed and accuracy, as those that taught typing to themselves and only used 6 fingers on average,' explains doctoral candidate Anna Feit.

#Ten typing fingers how to#

Their findings challenge the common belief that you need to have taken a touch typing course - to learn how to type with all 10 fingers - in order to be fast: Researchers from Aalto University studied the typing behavior of 30 people covering a broad range of age and skill.