A stylus can be easily lost. A tethered stylus solves this problem but the tether can be annoying.

So I propose a stylus with a nib that can be slid anywhere on the screen but cannot be lifted off the screen.

The stylus would have a spring so the default mode is pen-off. When the stylus is held and pressed against the screen to overcome the spring bias it goes to pen-on mode.

The stylus would be pivotally attached (e.g. ball&socket joint) to a slider mechanism on the screen. There are a few different slider mechanisms I can think of; the simplest being a transparent sheet about 50% larger than the screen that can be slid anywhere on the screen (with the stylus connected to the centre). An alternative would be a 2D gantry.
-- xaviergisz, Dec 26 2009

You could get an Etch-a-Sketch. I'm just sayin'.
-- phoenix, Dec 26 2009


I think a finger sharpener would be more useful. Forget stylii altogether.
-- The_Saint, Dec 26 2009


//a finger sharpener// sp. nails
-- pocmloc, Dec 26 2009


Don't tether with string, just use velcro.
-- kaz, Dec 26 2009


// nib that can be slid anywhere on the screen but cannot be lifted off the screen //

When you are writing something with a pencil, is it convenient to write by not lifting it off the paper?
-- Inyuki, Dec 27 2009


the stylus can be raised from the surface but only by a limited distance (about 1cm) and it is still attached to the slider.

This is not going to be ideal for all users, but I'm sure there's a niche market for this somewhere (e.g. public information terminals)

Another advantage of this idea is that a touch screen is not needed. Instead the location of the stylus is determined from the slider.
-- xaviergisz, Dec 27 2009


I am boning your, admittedly original idea on the grounds that if your idea was ever actually implemented, life would be a shade more aggravating.
-- MikeD, Dec 28 2009



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