A
digital pen is an input device which captures the
handwritingHandwriting is a person's particular & individual style of writing with pen or pencil, which contrasts with "Hand" which is an impersonal and formalised writing style in several historical varieties...
or brush strokes of a user, converts handwritten analog information created using "pen and paper" into digital data, enabling the data to be utilized in various applications. For example, the writing data can be digitized and uploaded to a
computerA computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
and displayed on its monitor. The data can then be interpreted by handwriting software (
OCROptical character recognition, usually abbreviated to OCR, is the mechanical or electronic translation of scanned images of handwritten, typewritten or printed text into machine-encoded text. It is widely used to convert books and documents into electronic files, to computerize a record-keeping...
) and used in different applications or just as graphics.
A digital pen is generally larger and has more features than a
stylusIn computing, a stylus is a small pen-shaped instrument that is used to input commands to a computer screen, mobile device or graphics tablet...
. Digital pens typically contain internal electronics, and have features such as touch sensitivity, input buttons, memory, writing data transmission capabilities, and electronic erasers.
Technology groups
Accelerometer AccelerometerAn accelerometer is a device that measures proper acceleration, also called the four-acceleration. This is not necessarily the same as the coordinate acceleration , but is rather the type of acceleration associated with the phenomenon of weight experienced by a test mass that resides in the frame...
based digital pens contain components that detect movement of the pen and contact with the writing surface.
Positional Position based digital pens use a facility to detect the location of the tip during writing.
Some models can be found on
graphics tabletA graphics tablet is a computer input device that enables a user to hand-draw images and graphics, similar to the way a person draws images with a pencil and paper. These tablets may also be used to capture data or handwritten signatures...
s made popular by
Wacomin Krefeld, Germany. Wacom is a Japanese portmanteau: Wa for "harmony" or "circle", and Komu for "computer". Wacom tablets are notable for their use of a patented cordless, battery-free, and pressure-sensitive stylus or digital pen...
.
Camera Camera based pens use special
digital paperDigital paper, also known as interactive paper, is patterned paper used in conjunction with a digital pen to create handwritten digital documents. The printed dot pattern uniquely identifies the position coordinates on the paper...
to detect where the stylus contacts the writing surface.
, such as those using
AnotoAnoto Group AB is a Swedish technology company which has invented, developed and licensed a product line of digital pens and a product suite to manage information capturing utilizing these . The Anoto Group has around 110 employees...
technology.
Products List
Polyvision Eno uses the
AnotoAnoto Group AB is a Swedish technology company which has invented, developed and licensed a product line of digital pens and a product suite to manage information capturing utilizing these . The Anoto Group has around 110 employees...
dot pattern and digital pen technology
Wacom Inkling, an digital pen for drawiing
IRISnotes
Livescribe
Logipen NOTES
Logitech io Pen
The Maxell digital pen "Penit"
Nokia Digital Pen SU-1B
Atary Digital Pen can be used as regular pen or as a
stylusA stylus is a writing utensil, or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example in pottery. The word is also used for a computer accessory . It usually refers to a narrow elongated staff, similar to a modern ballpoint pen. Many styli are heavily curved to be held more easily...
with a Teflon adapter.