Handwriting Recognition - Brief Historical Notes

Brief Historical Notes

• 1915: U.S. Patent on handwriting recognition user interface with a stylus
• 1957: Stylator tablet: Tom Dimond demonstrates electronic tablet with pen for computer input and handwriting recognition
• 1961: RAND Tablet invented: better known than earlier Stylator system
• 1962: Computer recognition of connected/script handwriting
• 1969: GRAIL system: handwriting recognition with electronic ink display, gesture commands
• 1973: Applicon CAD/CAM computer system using the Ledeen recognizer for handwriting recognition
• 1980s: Retail handwriting-recognition systems: Pencept and CIC both offer PC computers for the consumer market using a tablet and handwriting recognition instead of a keyboard and mouse. Cadre System markets Inforite point-of-sale terminal using handwriting recognition and a small electronic tablet and pen.
• 1989: Portable handwriting recognition computer: GRiDPad from GRiD Systems.
• 1997: First handwritten address interpretation system(HWAI) deployed by United States Postal Service
• 2007: First automatic writer recognition system: CEDAR-FOX.

More extensive information on the history of handwriting recognition technology can be found in the article on Pen computing.