The future of the pen

The new technology

By the year 2025, a type of pens called Epen (Electronic pen) will allow everyone to write in a different way and will allow a new type of interaction between humans and machines. With the introduction of electronic tips and the addition of electronic components, Epens will allow users to write on any surface without the use of ink. The written path can be recognized and transformed into the appropriate input for further process in computers. Because of the addition of the electronic components, Epens would cost much higher than today’s disposable pens. By the year 2025 Epens will not yet replace regular disposable inked pens, but the usage Epens will gradually increase in time.

Development

pen tip

An Epen tip is an electronic part of the pen that tracks the writing made by the user. The Epen tip can also measure other properties of writing like pressure and writing surface texture. Other than tracking the writing, an Epen tip can also co-operate with other electronic components in the Epen which could be a microchip, a microphone, a camera, a wi-fi receptor etc. This co-operation will allow written data to be integrated with other information such as time, audio or images. This integration will generate a new interaction between the users and the Epens. Users may say words to give Epens the commands. Conversely Epens may recognize a code mark on an application form, and automatically transmit the written data directly to the employer’s computer (Feague, 2008).

pen body

Since the late nineteenth century, the pen body, from the grip to the rear end of the pen, is used for keeping the ink supply. By 2025, the need of ink in the pen will have already been greatly decreased as the result from earlier years’ increasing encouragement of non-carbon technologies. However, the pen body has an important feature that allows a user to have a better control of their writing. Therefore, the size of the future pen will not be much smaller, hence the extra space in the rear of the pen is a perfect place to add any small piece of electronic components. This insertion of electronic components will give Epens various abilities. For example, if a fingerprint scanner is put in place; the fingerprint, writing pressure as well as the signature can all be obtained from a single Epen to verify an important transaction (Perton,2005). In the future, this type of new abilities of Epens will change the way data is obtained and used in daily basis.

Rationale

Epen tip

The tip of the pen has always been the part that mark the difference in each type of pens. The tip of the pen were initially the downy barb of the goose quills. As medium and tools available at each time differ, the tip also changes through time. In the mid-nineteenth century, new technologies in the industrial revolution allowed steel nibs to be made and replace the quills. Later in the twentieth century, newer technologies allowed ball-points to be made. The most recent type of pen tip which is the fiber-tip was invented in 1962 by a Japanese inventor owing to the fact that there was a need to write on other surface such as plastic or metal(pen,2009).

The future Epen tips are similar to the pen tips in the graphics tablets, the difference is that Epen tips recognize all the written path without the need of the tablet’s surface. The tips may use the electronic induction, laser technology or mouse-like tracking method to identify the written path. The same technology as the Epen tips can already be found in today’s electronic pens. Jim Marggraff (2008), CEO and Founder of Livescribe, Inc. gave a demonstration of his product, Pulse Smartpen, at DEMO Conference. He claimed that this Smartpen can record and link audio to the writing which users may write on any paper. The audio can be played replayed by tapping the pen on any word written. Finally all the data can be stored for backup in the computer. Satori Labs, Inc. also uses a similar technology in their FusionForm™ which help reducing error in medical process, by digitizing physician handwriting immediately after the prescription form is written (Feague, 2008).

Epen body

The pen body is one of the most important features of the pen. The main purpose of it is to help the user have a better control of the pen. However, since the late nineteenth century this available space is also used to keep a reservoir. Another change happened with the introduction of oil-based ink which needed to be stored in a tube.

Because Epen does not require ink, the rear space would be used to place any micro-electronic components that would enhance the Epen in a way or another. Recently, a Japanese company, Digital Cowboy, produced a Camcorder Pen which can record a 352×288 video with audio using a camera same size as Apple’s iSight camera (Levenstein,2008). Many pen manufacturers today show the higher need of electronic equipment than ink, by replacing half of the pen body with the USB flash drive.

Conclusion

The pen has developed in a great distance, from a single goose quill to a complex electronic device. The development of pen has affected, and been affected by humans. Looking at its development from the past to the future allows us to see the pattern of how a technology changes within time. This knowledge may be used to prepare humans to cope with effects or problems that might emerge from the blobby modern technologies as we hope to move toward a utopian future.

Reference

Feague, Roy (2008). Satori Labs, Inc. Retrieved 4 April 2009 from DEMO.com: http://www.demo.com/demonstrators/demo2005/54250.html

Levenstein, Steve (2008). DVR-BP Camcorder Pen Records Audio & Video, Even Writes!. Retrieved 4 April 2009 from InventorSpot.com: http://inventorspot.com/articles/dvrbp_camcorder_pen_records_audio_video_even_writes_13749

Marggraff, Jim (2008). Pulse Smartpen & Livescribe Paper-Based Computing Platform. Retrieved 4 April 2009 from DEMO.com: http://www.demo.com/demonstrators/demo2008/124705.html

pen. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica.  Retrieved February 9, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://search.eb.com.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/eb/article-9059036

Perton, Marc (2005). Secure Signature Biometric Pen uses strokes for security. Retrieved 4 April 2009 from engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2005/03/07/secure-signature-biometric-pen-uses-strokes-for-security/