ITR Atlas

Information Transfer Rate Atlas

Most methods are upper bounds. The default shows the strictest (smallest) per entry. Switch to compare one method across entries. Entries without it are greyed out.
0.01 0.1 1 10 20 1850 1900 1950 2000 ITR (bits/s, log) Stenotype Court Reporting (Ireland Stenotype, 1911) (1911): 17.8 bits/s Speech Recognition, transcription (Ruan et al., 2016) (2016): 12.7 bits/s Speech Recognition, composition (Foley et al., 2020) (2020): 9.75 bits/s AlterEgo continuous silent speech (Kapur et al., 2018) (2019): 5.7627054781803375 bits/s Stylus/Tablet Pointing (RAND, 1964) (1964): 4.9 bits/s ECoG Speech + Avatar (Metzger et al., 2023) (2023): 4.88 bits/s Long-Term Intracortical Speech BCI (Card et al., 2026) (2026): 4.63 bits/s Mouse Pointing (Engelbart, 1968) (1968): 4.5 bits/s QWERTY Typing (Sholes & Glidden, 1874) (1874): 4.25 bits/s Intracortical Speech (Willett et al., 2023) (2023): 3.93 bits/s Twiddler Chording Keyboard (HandyKey, 1991) (1991): 3.92 bits/s MouthPad^ Benchmark (Augmental, 2026) (2026): 3.53 bits/s LipType Word-Initial Silent Speech (Su et al., 2025) (2025): 3.37 bits/s Neuralink PRIME, Webgrid (Neuralink, 2024) (2024): 3.32 bits/s Trackball Pointing (DATAR, 1952) (1952): 3.3 bits/s Mobile Touchscreen Typing (Apple, 2007) (2007): 2.95 bits/s SilentSpeller (Kimura et al., 2022) (2022): 2.68 bits/s Accurate Speech BCI (Card et al., 2024) (2024): 2.6 bits/s Head-Tracking Pointing (Ballard & Stockman, 1995) (1995): 2.47 bits/s TongueBoard Intraoral Silent Speech (Li et al., 2019) (2019): 2.186191325889588 bits/s Eye-Gaze Pointing (Jacob, 1990) (1990): 2.13 bits/s Morse Telegraphy (Morse, 1844) (1844): 2.08 bits/s Speech Recognition, early ASR (Karat et al., 1999) (1999): 2.08 bits/s Brain2voice 2.0: Intracortical Voice Synthesis BCI (Wairagkar et al., 2026) (2026): 1.97 bits/s Brain2Qwerty: MEG decoding of QWERTY typing (Lévy et al., 2025) (2025): 1.72 bits/s Tap Strap Wearable Keyboard (Tap Systems, 2018) (2018): 1.68 bits/s Tongue Drive System (Huo & Ghovanloo, 2008) (2008): 1.67 bits/s Eye-Tracking Keyboard, dwell (Majaranta et al., 2009) (2009): 1.65 bits/s BrainGate2 Cursor BCI (ReFIT-KF), pointing (Pandarinath et al., 2017) (2017): 1.48 bits/s Handwriting BCI (Willett et al., 2021) (2021): 1.41 bits/s Long-Term Intracortical Cursor BCI (Card et al., 2026) (2026): 1.17 bits/s TRCA SSVEP Speller (Nakanishi et al., 2018) (2018): 1.12 bits/s High-Speed SSVEP Speller (Chen et al., 2015) (2015): 0.9 bits/s ECoG Speech, 50 words (Moses et al., 2021) (2021): 0.8577458764908077 bits/s Sensorimotor-Rhythm 2D Cursor BCI (Wolpaw & McFarland, 2004) (2004): 0.6598542066550368 bits/s BrainGate2 Cursor BCI (ReFIT-KF), text entry (Pandarinath et al., 2017) (2017): 0.65 bits/s EEG2Code c-VEP Speller (Nagel & Spüler, 2019) (2019): 0.583 bits/s MELDER Real-Time Lip-Reading (Pandey & Arif, 2024) (2024): 0.375 bits/s BrainGate Point-and-Click Cursor (Kim et al., 2011) (2011): 0.374 bits/s Synchron Stentrode, switch (Oxley et al., 2021) (2021): 0.23 bits/s BrainGate Neural Cursor (Hochberg et al., 2006) (2006): 0.188 bits/s BrainGate Radial Keyboard (Bacher et al., 2015) (2015): 0.173 bits/s Hex-o-Spell Motor-Imagery Speller (Blankertz et al., 2006) (2006): 0.127 bits/s Checkerboard P300 Speller (Townsend et al., 2010) (2010): 0.067 bits/s Neurotrophic Electrode (Kennedy & Bakay, 1998) (1998): 0.05 bits/s P300 Matrix Speller (Farwell & Donchin, 1988) (1988): 0.041 bits/s
System
Technique
Each point is one entry, positioned by the year the interface appeared (for mature interfaces this predates the cited measurement). Color is the input system, and symbol is the input technique. Toggle either row to filter. Tap a point to show or hide its label. Tap the label to open the entry, or drag it to reposition. Log scale. Not all entries are directly comparable. See each entry's action space.
Stenotype Court Reporting (Ireland Stenotype, 1911)
Manual Chord keyboard
18 bits/s
rate=225
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Speech Recognition, transcription (Ruan et al., 2016)
Voice Speech recognition
13 bits/s
rate=152.86
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Speech Recognition, composition (Foley et al., 2020)
Voice Speech recognition
9.75 bits/s
rate=117
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
AlterEgo continuous silent speech (Kapur et al., 2018)
sEMG Silent speech
5.76 bits/s
N=20
Wolpaw
Author-reported · reproduced
Stylus/Tablet Pointing (RAND, 1964)
Stylus Pointing
4.9 bits/s
TP=4.9
Fitts' law
Author-reported · reproduced
ECoG Speech + Avatar (Metzger et al., 2023)
ECoG Speech invasive
4.88 bits/s
N=1024
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Long-Term Intracortical Speech BCI (Card et al., 2026)
Intracortical Speech invasive
4.63 bits/s
N=125000
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Mouse Pointing (Engelbart, 1968)
Manual Pointing
4.5 bits/s
TP=4.5
Fitts' law
Author-reported · reproduced
QWERTY Typing (Sholes & Glidden, 1874)
Manual Keyboard
4.25 bits/s
rate=51.56
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Intracortical Speech (Willett et al., 2023)
Intracortical Speech invasive
3.93 bits/s
N=125000
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Twiddler Chording Keyboard (HandyKey, 1991)
Manual Chord keyboard
3.92 bits/s
rate=47
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
MouthPad^ Benchmark (Augmental, 2026)
Tongue Head Pointing
3.53 bits/s
TP=3.53
Fitts' law
Author-reported · not reproduced
LipType Word-Initial Silent Speech (Su et al., 2025)
Video Silent speech Touch
3.37 bits/s
rate=41.6
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Neuralink PRIME, Webgrid (Neuralink, 2024)
Intracortical Cursor invasive
3.32 bits/s
t=30
Fitts' law
Recomputed
Trackball Pointing (DATAR, 1952)
Manual Pointing
3.3 bits/s
TP=3.3
Fitts' law
Author-reported · reproduced
Mobile Touchscreen Typing (Apple, 2007)
Touch Keyboard
2.95 bits/s
rate=36.2
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
SilentSpeller (Kimura et al., 2022)
Electropalatography Silent speech
2.68 bits/s
N=1164
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Accurate Speech BCI (Card et al., 2024)
Intracortical Speech invasive
2.6 bits/s
N=125000
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Head-Tracking Pointing (Ballard & Stockman, 1995)
Head Pointing
2.47 bits/s
TP=2.472
Fitts' law
Author-reported · reproduced
TongueBoard Intraoral Silent Speech (Li et al., 2019)
Electropalatography Silent speech
2.19 bits/s
N=17
Wolpaw
Author-reported · reproduced
Eye-Gaze Pointing (Jacob, 1990)
Eye Pointing
2.13 bits/s
TP=2.127
Fitts' law
Author-reported · reproduced
Morse Telegraphy (Morse, 1844)
Manual Telegraph
2.08 bits/s
rate=25
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Speech Recognition, early ASR (Karat et al., 1999)
Voice Speech recognition
2.08 bits/s
rate=25
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Brain2voice 2.0: Intracortical Voice Synthesis BCI (Wairagkar et al., 2026)
Intracortical Speech invasive
1.97 bits/s
rate=25
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Brain2Qwerty: MEG decoding of QWERTY typing (Lévy et al., 2025)
MEG Keyboard
1.72 bits/s
rate=152
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Tap Strap Wearable Keyboard (Tap Systems, 2018)
Touch Chord keyboard
1.68 bits/s
rate=22.11
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Tongue Drive System (Huo & Ghovanloo, 2008)
Tongue Pointing
1.67 bits/s
TP=1.67
Fitts' law
Author-reported · reproduced
Eye-Tracking Keyboard, dwell (Majaranta et al., 2009)
Eye Gaze
1.65 bits/s
rate=19.9
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
BrainGate2 Cursor BCI (ReFIT-KF), pointing (Pandarinath et al., 2017)
Intracortical Cursor invasive
1.48 bits/s
B=3.7
Fitts' law
Recomputed
Handwriting BCI (Willett et al., 2021)
Intracortical Handwriting invasive
1.41 bits/s
N=31
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Long-Term Intracortical Cursor BCI (Card et al., 2026)
Intracortical Cursor invasive
1.17 bits/s
B=2.90
Fitts' law
Recomputed
TRCA SSVEP Speller (Nakanishi et al., 2018)
EEG SSVEP
1.12 bits/s
N=40
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
High-Speed SSVEP Speller (Chen et al., 2015)
EEG SSVEP
0.9 bits/s
N=40
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
ECoG Speech, 50 words (Moses et al., 2021)
ECoG Speech invasive
0.858 bits/s
N=50
Wolpaw
Recomputed
Sensorimotor-Rhythm 2D Cursor BCI (Wolpaw & McFarland, 2004)
EEG Motor imagery Cursor
0.66 bits/s
N=8
Wolpaw
Recomputed
BrainGate2 Cursor BCI (ReFIT-KF), text entry (Pandarinath et al., 2017)
Intracortical Keyboard invasive
0.65 bits/s
rate=39.2
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
EEG2Code c-VEP Speller (Nagel & Spüler, 2019)
EEG c-VEP
0.583 bits/s
rate=35
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
MELDER Real-Time Lip-Reading (Pandey & Arif, 2024)
Video Silent speech
0.375 bits/s
rate=5.59
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
BrainGate Point-and-Click Cursor (Kim et al., 2011)
Intracortical Cursor invasive
0.374 bits/s
A=278
Fitts' law
Recomputed
Synchron Stentrode, switch (Oxley et al., 2021)
Endovascular Switch partially-invasive
0.23 bits/s
N=28
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
BrainGate Neural Cursor (Hochberg et al., 2006)
Intracortical Cursor invasive
0.188 bits/s
N=16
Fitts' law
Recomputed
BrainGate Radial Keyboard (Bacher et al., 2015)
Intracortical Keyboard invasive
0.173 bits/s
rate=10.4
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Hex-o-Spell Motor-Imagery Speller (Blankertz et al., 2006)
EEG Motor imagery
0.127 bits/s
rate=7.6
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Checkerboard P300 Speller (Townsend et al., 2010)
EEG P300
0.067 bits/s
N=72
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
Neurotrophic Electrode (Kennedy & Bakay, 1998)
Intracortical Cursor invasive
0.05 bits/s
rate=3
Shannon (text)
Recomputed
P300 Matrix Speller (Farwell & Donchin, 1988)
EEG P300
0.041 bits/s
N=36
Shannon (text)
Recomputed