DeltaPen: Draw, draw and take notes without a tablet | Tech Reddy

Over the decades, many attempts have been made to try to make pens and pencils “smarter.” Whether it allows the pen to digitally scribble down what we write on paper, create fully digital drawings with the haptics of ink and paint, or jot down some notes on a touchscreen, past and present uses are legion.

SIP Lab’s DeltaPen appears here as an attempt to create a smart pen that works like a tablet pen.

This project is related to the rather clumsy Flashpen we’ve featured in the past. Thanks to the use of new flow sensors, the bottom surface (such as a table) can be observed without being directly with it, which allowed the addition of a pressure-sensitive tip.

In addition, the pen’s relative movement is measured and has haptic feedback, allowing it to be used in delicate applications such as drawing. The results of trials with volunteers on a range of tasks are described in their accompanying paper (PDF).