Input devices are hardware devices that allow users to send data to a computer system and control it. They are crucial for interacting with and adding new information to a computer. There are many types of input devices, including:

• Keyboard: A device with keys that allow users to input text and commands into a computer.
• Mouse: A device that allows users to move a cursor on the screen and select items by clicking buttons.
• Scanner: A device that digitizes images or documents and sends them to a computer.
• Microphone: A device that captures sound and sends it to a computer for processing, recording, or carrying out commands.
• Joystick: A device that allows users to control movement in games or simulations.
• Webcam: A camera that captures video and sends it to a computer.
• Barcode reader: A device that scans barcodes and sends the information to a computer.
• Fingerprint scanner: A device that captures fingerprints and sends them to a computer for identification purposes.
• Light pen: A device that allows users to draw or select items on a screen by pointing at them.
• OCR: Optical Character Recognition software that converts scanned text into machine-readable text.

Input devices can be categorized based on the modality of input (e.g., mechanical motion, audio, visual, etc.) and whether the input is discrete (e.g., pressing a key) or continuous (e.g., a mouses position) . Some devices, known as I/O devices, can both take input and show output at the same time.