Examples of input devices are Keyboard, Mouse, Webcam, Microphone, Touchscreen, Barcode scanner, Light pen, and more.
An input device is a hardware component. It allows users to enter data and commands into a computer or other digital device.
Examples of Input Devices
Here are the best examples of input devices for computers:
1. Keyboard
A keyboard is an input device because it allows the user to input data into a computer. It has keys that correspond to letters, numbers, and functions that are typed to enter data, issue commands, and much more. Keyboards transmit keystroke information to the computer’s processor to be decoded and executed.
Stats: Most computer keyboards have between 84 and 110 keys
2. Mouse
A mouse is a handheld input device. It controls the movement of the cursor or pointer on a display screen. Moving the mouse on a flat surface translates the motion into signals that the computer uses to move the on-screen pointer. Clicking the buttons sends signals to trigger different functions.
Stats: The first computer mouse was built at Stanford Research Institute in 1963 by Douglas Engelbart
3. Joystick
A joystick is an input device mostly used in computer gaming that provides 2D or 3D input. When operated it sends signals to the device (game console, computer, etc.) which are converted into a specific action. This capability makes it an effective device for inputting commands in a fast-paced gaming environment.
Stats: Joysticks have been used as input devices since the early 1900s
4. Touchscreen
A touchscreen is an input device because it covers the display that allows a user to interact with the computer by touching the screen. It converts the touch by a finger, stylus, or other object into digital signals that provide input for the computer to act on. Touchscreens are everywhere today.
Stats: The first touchscreen was developed in 1965 at the Royal Radar Establishment in Malvern, UK
5. Microphone
Microphones are input devices. It converts sound waves into electrical signals that can then be amplified, transmitted, or converted to digital data. They enable audio input capabilities for computers and a wide range of electronics. It is one of the main ways for users to provide audio input and record voice data.
Stats: Alexander Graham Bell invented the first microphone in 1876
6. Digital Camera
A digital camera is also a type of input device. It allows users to take digital photographs and videos that can be stored on a computer device. It takes visual inputs of scenes in photos or videos and converts them to save in a digital format. Images from digital cameras can be uploaded directly to computing devices.
Stats: First consumer digital camera was the Dycam Model 1. It released in 1990 with a resolution of 375×240 pixels
7. Barcode/QR Code Scanner
Barcode and QR code scanners use light sensors to read optical codes on products and objects that can contain various data. This allows quick input of data like ID numbers, product info, website URLs, etc into connected systems and devices.
Stats: QR codes were invented in 1994 by the Japanese company Denso Wave
8. Game Controller
A game controller is an input gaming device. It allows users to provide input to a video game to control the actions and movements of characters or objects, navigate menus, and perform different other interactive functions. Popular controllers include gamepads, joysticks, steering wheels, and motion-sensing remotes.
Stats: First game console controller with an analog joystick was introduced by Nintendo in 1996 with the Nintendo 64
9. Webcam
A webcam has a built-in digital camera sensor and lens that captures images and video that can be relayed over the internet in real-time. Webcams enable video calls, conferencing, live streaming broadcasts, and uploading media to computers and websites.
Stats: One of the first webcams was deployed at Cambridge University in 1991 to monitor a coffee maker
10. Light Pen
A light pen is a computer input device shaped like a pen. Users can point directly at elements on a display screen to select, draw, or manipulate them by using this device. Light pens can detect and capture positions on CRT and early LCD screens based on cathode-ray tube technology.
Stats: The first light pen was created in 1955 by Tom Dimond while working at MIT Lincoln Laboratory
