A new grammar pen has been designed that can identify errors in spelling or letter formation in real-time. The pen , which delivers a warning vibration to the writer’s hand every time a mistake is spotted, is intended to help kids write more accurately and quickly.
The grammar pen features two functions : Calligraphy Mode, which can point out flaws of form and legibility, and Orthography Mode, which detects orthographic and grammatical mistakes.
The pen has built-in sensors that identify variations in the way letters are formed. Should it spot an error, the writer will feel a light vibration.
German start-up Lernstift – otherwise known as Falk Wolsky, Mandy Wolsky, and Daniel Kaesmacher – designed the pen after the Wolskys were inspired by their son’s own early writing attempts. Falk writes:
“We [were] sitting at the table with our son who had to write a text. The first couple of words already contained a few errors. This is the moment my wife Mandy said, ‘There should be a pen that tells you right away when you’ve made a mistake.’ “
The pen does not currently have functional prototype, but Lernstift is fast raising funds for a business presentation in both German and English, including a product video. Come March 2013, the company hopes to raise 200,000 to 1.5 million Euros via crowdfunding.
You can watch Falk Wolsky carry out a demonstration of the pen in action below (in German). Do you think this kind of product could improve childrens’ writing, or is it doomed to be eclipsed by an age of touchscreens and keyboards?