Team leader
Mike Woods, Creative Director, Tangerine
Team members
Osaka Gas, Rinnai, Hino Motor Corporation, Toyo Exteriors, Fuji Xerox, Matsushita, Tokyo University systems, electrical and industrial engineering students.
Lead user
Junichiro Oshiro, profoundly deaf interface designer.
The issue
The major theme centred on communication and cultural acceptance. Oshiro uses sign language to communicate, supported by written text. He wanted to communicate swiftly and discreetly with others and desired a product that was good-looking, lightweight and flexible that could be used in a variety of contexts, eliminated the disadvantages of conventional writing equipment but retained its personalised character.
What is it?
Kakimono is a small, portable, digital writing scroll with removable e-paper. This is stored in the wand and can be unscrolled and fixed with a thin retractable rod to allow notes or drawings to be inscribed on its surface. Stylistically it resembles the traditional hanging scrolls used in Japanese interiors.
The wand has a removable projector light at one tip that allows written text to be projected on a surface, enabling the sharing of ideas. The wand also houses a removable pen with an accelerator and sensor. This senses the strength of the user's grip and adjusts the written strokes to reflect individual writing styles. The battery is embedded in the handle which is used to unscroll the e-paper from the wand.
The wand can be customised depending on its use. The team envisaged a traditional black or red lacquer finish as well as metallic or wood. The advantage of the product is that it is discreet, easily stored, can be accessed quickly and has the direct approach of a pen. It allows both drawings and text to be shared, unlike keypad operated devices.
