Vibrating pen to help Parkinson’s patients write better

The ARC pen could be the perfect option for folks with Parkinson’s disease. Created by a group of students from UK’s Royal College of Art and the Imperial College London, the pen aids patients with Parkinson’s disease write better.

Patients of the disease suffer a symptom called micrographia. It is characterised by a patient’s handwriting becoming smaller and more cramped as they go along, to the point that it’s not readable anymore.

This pen prevents that from happening by stimulating key muscles through vibration, giving users more control over their hands. Though they are equipped with motors, they are more comfortable to hold than regular pens.

Lucy Jung, the project leader, said the project started with a different goal. The team wanted to create a vibrating pen that would give non-patients a taste of what it feels like having to write with Parkinson’s. Instead, they found that vibration enables larger and more legible handwriting.

Jung and her team plan to equip other tools, such as makeup brushes and computer mice, with vibrating motors in the future to help patients with the disease.

 

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