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Communications giant, Ericsson, is claiming a world first with the development of Chatpen which is due to be launched on the market early next year.
Using Bluetooth wireless technology and the GPRS network, Chatpen will transfer handwritten text and interact with mobile phones, computers and the Internet.
Ericsson says that using a paper catalogue, consumers will be able to order products electronically without ever touching a computer. Companies will be able to collect data, take inventory and manage other business communications using pre-printed forms. Even the remote signing of contracts will be possible using the Chatpen, according to the company.
"Everything from the instant purchase of airline tickets to the delivery of flowers or pizza from a newspaper advertisement will be possible with Chatpen," claims Ericsson.
As the pen and the paper products featuring the dot pattern it uses becomes more widespread, numerous new applications will appear.
While it looks and writes like a normal pen, Chatpen also "reads" its location with the help of an almost invisible dot pattern printed on ordinary paper.
This information is sent via Bluetooth and a GPRS mobile phone, letting consumers write on paper and digitally at the same time.
Ericsson says that consumers will also find that they are no longer restricted to text-based SMS or e-mail but can send handwritten notes using Chatpen to anyone with a mobile phone, PC or PDA.
"Anything that can be drawn or written can be sent instantly, making messaging more personal and simplifying the process of sending text in languages that do not use the Roman alphabet," the company adds.
Although simple in appearance, the pen contains state-of-the-art technology that includes an infrared camera, an image processor and a Bluetooth wireless transceiver.
When writing with Chatpen on paper that features a subtle pattern of dots (developed and owned by Anoto AB, a subsidiary of C-Technologies), these hidden components "read" the pen's location.
This information is sent via Bluetooth technology to a mobile phone which then passes it using GPRS to another mobile phone, a PC or a PDA.
Chatpen is scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2002 but a limited pre-launch, in association with Europolitan-Vodafone, will take place in Sweden towards the end of this year.
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