We introduce PropType, an interactive interface that transforms everyday objects into typing surfaces within an Augmented Reality (AR) environment. Users can interact with nearby props, such as cups, water bottles, boxes, and various other objects, utilizing them as on-the-go keyboards. To develop PropType, we conducted three studies. The first study involved observing users to understand how they naturally engage with prop surfaces for typing. The second study assessed the reachability and efficiency of touch input across four props with different sizes and shapes. Based on these insights, we designed customized keyboard layouts for each prop. In the third study, we evaluated typing performance using PropType, achieving an average typing speed of up to 26.1 words per minute (WPM) with 2.2% corrected error rate (CER) and 1.1% uncorrected error rate (UER). Finally, we present a PropType editing tool that allows users to customize keyboard layouts and visual effects for prop-based typing.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3706598.3714056
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