The Digital Pen

This looks, feels and writes like a normal pen. The pen is made up of various components; rechargeable battery, memory, Bluetooth, pressure sensor, optical camera and of course, a ball-point pen cartridge. The pen can be set up and synchronized through either a USB cradle which is included in the package, or used with a paired mobile device via Bluetooth.

The Paper

The paper is completely standard - you could even use value paper! You simply print an almost invisible dot-pattern over the entire surface of the form allowing the pen to know where it is as you write. The printing of the pattern can be carried out by a professional printing company to create pads, booklets etc, but it is also possible to print out forms locally on a 1200x1200 colour laser postscript printer. Print costs are generally no more expensive than your current forms costs.

The Digital Pattern

The pattern is made up of tiny dots that can be completely unique for every individual page/form, thereby allowing the pen to know where it is on the page and indeed which form it is. As the pen writes it magnifies the dots and records the strokes/coordinates it takes through the paper. It does not record handwriting which is important from a security perspective. When a form is completed it is encrypted and stored in the pen and then either transmitted to back-office systems via a mobile device, or docked in a cradle attached to a PC.

Formidable allows customers to digitise, print, pre populate and control their own forms in the design tool. Please see the Formidable tour for more information.