Digital Pens

Digital Pen

A digital pen is an input device which captures the handwriting 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 computer and displayed on its monitor. The data can then be interpreted by handwriting software (OCR) to allow the digital pen to act as a text entry interface and be used in different applications or just as graphics.

Technology Groups:

Accelerometer

Accelerometer-based digital pens contain components that detect movement of the pen and contact with the writing surface.

Active

Active pens, such as N-trig's DuoSense Pen™, include electronic components whose signals are picked up a mobile device's built-in digitizer and transmitted to its controller, providing data on pen location, pressure, button presses and other functionality.

Positional

Position-based digital pens use a facility to detect the location of the tip during writing. Some models can be found on graphics tablets made popular by Wacom.

Camera

Camera-based pens use special digital paper to detect where the stylus contacts the writing surface, such as those using Anoto technology.

Trackball pen

Trackball pens use a sensor that is located on the pen to detect the motion of the trackball.

DIGITAL PENS: WHAT TO LOOK FOR

There are several ways digital pens capture pen strokes. The best digital pens use technology developed by the Anoto Group that uses a camera near the pen tip to track with microdots printed on paper. However, most digital pens use a positional device that clips to the top of your paper and tracks a sensor in the pen's tip as it moves across the paper, allowing you to write on any surface.

Once you've created a digital page and have uploaded it to your computer, you'll want an intuitive desktop program that allows you the most control over how you archive, search, share and edit your notes. The best digital pens provide you with the ability to record the most comprehensive notes for greater retention.

Below are some the criteria you'll want to consider when choosing a digital pen.

Performance

A pen, whether it's digital or an antique, must be comfortable to write with. Pen size and weight can affect how long you can take notes without hand fatigue. Unfortunately, this means that the pens with the most features are also the biggest because of the technology packed into the pen's shaft. Many electronic pens are not much bigger than a normal ballpoint pen but lack many of the features that allow you to take comprehensive notes.

After comfort comes accuracy. There's little point in complicating the writing experience with cameras and positional sensors if the digital image of your notes doesn't match the physical image. Accuracy on most pens falls within a .3mm and .7mm spatial difference when compared to the actual pen strokes. However, positional devices can have their accuracy completely distorted if the device moves while you're writing or your finger interferes with the sensor.

When you are finished writing on a page and you turn to the next, you have to also transition from one digital page to another. You want a pen with a smooth transition from page to page so that you don't end up with a single muddled digital page that consists of several physical pages of notes.

The best smart pens provide features like audio recording that syncs to notes to create pencasts – a digital version of your notes that includes the recorded audio. You'll also want to consider battery life and easy syncing features like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. These are important to your pen's performance because you don't want your pen to die in the middle of taking notes. Likewise, wireless syncing allows you to share your notes across a broad platform of devices in real-time.

Feature Set

The features a pen comes with can vary greatly – from being a computer built into a pen capable of downloading apps to being little more than a fancy pen. Newer models are starting to prioritize sketches with features that allow you to have pressure sensitivity and multiple layers for depth and easy syncing with programs like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe illustrator.

If the digital pen includes optical character recognition software to convert your handwriting to text, the conversion should be reasonably accurate. Most pens are bundled with MyScript Notes in addition to their desktop software. Some programs, like MyScript, include language recognition features that recognize dozens of languages.

Each pen has some form of internal hard drive that stores digital pages until you upload the pages to a computer. Storage capacity varies from 50 digital pages to hundreds. The best digital pens track memory in hours because of the recorded audio.

Ease of Use

Adding technology to a pen inherently makes it more complicated to use. So the value a digital pen adds to your notes or sketches must outweigh any complications that come with the added technology.
You don't want a pen that makes you feel like you're required to re-learn skills you mastered in the early years of elementary school or a pen that requires extensive training to operate effectively.

The setup and uploading should be straightforward. Pen manufacturers should offer detailed instructions to get you up and running as quickly as possible. In addition, initial product packages should include all the accessories you need for basic functionality. The best digital pens have versatile accessories that you can purchase separately as you become an expert with all the features.

Help & Support

Manufacturers must provide help and support to make the experience with your digital pen as smooth as possible. This should include tutorials, online forums, FAQs, online technical support and contact information. You also want a manufacturer that makes it easy to purchase ink cartridge refills, paper refills (if required) and other accessories.

Digital pens are a great tool for taking notes or sketches in situations that limit the use of a laptop or tablet because they are less intrusive in classrooms and meetings. In addition, the portability of digital pens make them great for collecting information in situations that would be difficult or impossible for laptops or tablets.