The pilot's "Dr. Grip" becomes a digital pen! Experience the actual machine under development-Connected Inc. 2021

The long-selling mechanical pencil / ballpoint pen "Dr. Grip" becomes a digital pen

Wacom will hold the annual event "Connected Inc. 2021" for two days from November 16th to 17th. Companies of various genres exhibited booths at the special venue in Shinjuku, Tokyo. [Photo] A prototype of Dr. Grip Digital. Different pen tips were attached to A to D, and I was able to compare the writing. Among them, the one that caught my eye was the digital pen under development exhibited by the stationery maker pilot. "Dr. Grip Digital" is based on the long-selling writing tool "Dr. Grip". Doctor grip that reduces the fatigue of handwriting is "digitally compatible" In recent years, a stationery maker collaboration that can be used with Wacom's liquid crystal pen tablet (liquid tab) such as Mitsubishi Pencil's "Hi-uni DIGITAL for Wacom" and Steadler's "Norris Digital" Digital pens are appearing one after another. The above two products were "digital pencils" that reproduced pencils, but the pilot proposes a mechanical pencil (ballpoint pen) type pen. With the thick body and elastic grip that are the characteristics of Dr. Grip, you can hold it firmly. Dr. Grip is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The name comes from the fact that it was created with the cooperation of doctors in order to reduce the fatigue of handwriting due to office work at the time of development when personal computers were not yet widespread. Since it is the first digital pen from a stationery maker to have a thick axis, not only creators who use pen tabs and liquid tabs hard, but also office workers and students who are advancing the digitization of work and classes, suffer from the fatigue of handwriting. It seems to be a digital pen that is kind to everyone. For me, Dr. Grip is a companion when I was a student. It was a mysterious experience to be able to write on an LCD pen tablet with a pen with a nostalgic grip that I used to write in my notebook. Like the original Dr. Grip, Dr. Grip Digital can be knocked in and out of the pen tip! The staff smiled, "It's a function that isn't really necessary (for a digital pen)," but the attention to detail is irresistible for stationery lovers. For those who carry equipment, the ability to store the pen tip when carrying it seems to be useful. Does the type of pen tip and "sound" affect the writing quality? In addition to the exhibition space, the pilot has set up a "writing taste laboratory" as an experience booth. A researcher in a white coat was interviewing how the user's experience would change depending on the difference in the pen tip and the sound that accompanies drawing. There are 4 types of pen tips. There were "hard", soft "soft", brush-like "brush", and high-friction "felt" nibs. Hard, soft and felt are major choices for Wacom's genuine nibs. Personally, the feel of the brush that reproduces the brush pen is new, and I have tried writing many times. Even though it is a brush pen, it is not a long-eared type, but a writing taste similar to the fine print type used for address writing. I was able to write letters comfortably. A paper-like film (Kent paper type) was pasted on the lower half of the LCD pen tablet screen, and I was able to experience a total of 8 patterns of writing. Originally, soft and felt with a large nib friction seemed to be too tight when used in combination with film. Not only the feel of the pen tip, but also the "sound" when writing is reproduced, and an experiment is conducted to see if it affects the writing taste. I was able to use the function to play a sound source based on the actual writing sound of a pencil, ballpoint pen, or fountain pen according to the drawing stroke. Since the lecture was given on the main stage of the venue, it was not as subtle as when writing with paper and pen, but the sound is added to my handwriting, so it is in a normal state. It was strange that I felt lighter than that. In a private room that is less affected by environmental sounds, listening with headphones will give you a different experience. The release date is undecided so far, and it is said that it is "in earnest development". I am looking forward to completing it as a new option for digital pens in collaboration with stationery makers.

Shiho Sugiura