HP Multicolour digital pen

Abstract

There are many digital pens on the market; however, none of them have more than one colour integrated into their body. The “HP Multicolour Digital Pen” project consists of designing and creating a working prototype of a multicolour digital pen, for the company Hewlett Packard. The pen is aimed at architects and constructors, who are still using traditional methods for working on paper plans, and will help them make the transition from the analogic to the digital world.

The final product will work with Anoto technology, therefore, research regarding Anoto technology and pens using this technology are included in the report. This research comprises of: a general description of Anoto digital pens; transmission methods used; processing units; pressure sensors; erasing methods and, to conclude the research, a brief summary of other technologies available. Furthermore, a study of the market has been conducted to analyse the features of different digital pens in the market. For the Mid-Term Report, three design proposals were presented and one was chosen by the company supervisor, in order to create the prototype for the final report.

Once the chosen concept was defined, the project incorporated design, mechanism, electronic and interface systems to create a Mark 1 prototype. This is a 2:1 scale prototype, which is used to study how well the systems work. This first prototype will greatly help in the development and refinement of future prototypes, so that the multicolour digital pen becomes a cutting edge, market leading product that is technologically advanced and economically viable.