Thanks to the number of computers in my childhood (and an unnaturally short attention span), my handwriting has always hovered between awful and indecipherable. So clearly, what I need is a machine to do my writing for me.
Axidraw is a “personal writing and drawing machine” created by Evil Mad Scientist. It can hold anything from a fountain pen to a Sharpie, and using a computer input, draw or write whatever you want on any A4-sized area.
Sure, that sounds suspiciously like a very simplified printer, but it’s smarter than that — you’d never have to smudge another thank-you note, or sign a cheque for that matter.
The Axidraw is primarily powered through free vector program Inkscape, but it’s also fully open-source, so you can write your own applications. Add on a camera so I can tap an area on a document, then add my signature without having to pick up a pen, and suddenly the $US450 ($595) asking price really isn’t so bad.
[Evil Mad Scientist via Makezine]