Applitech has developed software for a digital pen that uses ink and handles like an ordinary ball-point pen, but contains a camera, an advanced image processing engine, and a communications unit such as USB or Bluetooth. The pen writes on ordinary paper printed with a unique, near-invisible pattern, and transforms anything written on that paper into digital media.
Overview
The digital writing platform registers the pen's movement and pressure across the patterned paper. Writing and even sketches are interpreted and digitized without requiring users to write in a special way, unlike hand-held character recognition systems. Since the pen's movements are stored as map coordinates, users can return to previous notes and add to them, with the technology placing each stroke in the right context when it transmits to the digital medium.
How it works
- 01Pen captures stroke and pressure across patterned paper
- 02Image processing converts strokes into digital form
- 03Communications unit transfers data via USB or Bluetooth
- 04Paper pattern lets different parts of the page carry different functions
- 05Sketches as well as text are captured and transferred
- 06Previous notes can be extended later and placed in their original context
Worked example: a clinic
A doctor uses a standard paper patient entry form throughout the day. At the end of the day, the office staff usually re-types every form into Quicken, QuickBooks, Peachtree, or another back-office system. With the digital pen, that same form is digitized at the point of writing. When the pen docks, the day's captured data is transcribed automatically and transferred to the program of choice, with no double entry.
Where it fits
- 01Doctors and clinical staff capturing patient intake forms
- 02Lawyers and accountants capturing client intake and notes
- 03Teachers capturing classroom assessment data
- 04Sales and field staff capturing orders and visit reports
- 05Managers and executives capturing meeting notes and approvals
- 06Any environment that runs on paper forms but needs digital downstream
Applitech delivery
Applitech maintains a team of developers who can quickly enable existing paper products to connect to off-the-shelf software. The result is a pen and paper workflow that customers already trust, paired with the digital downstream that modern operations need.