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Applied Sciences

3D-printed grips extend digital inking to pen users with limited mobility

Microsoft has been a pioneer in the field of digital inking and touch experiences.  Digital pens are powerful tools for productivity and creativity.  But research pointed to a disconnect between the pen’s capabilities and the needs of our users with disabilities.  So, in 2019 a team of passionate engineers, designers, program managers, and user researchers started to work on finding new inclusive ways of interacting with technology, rooted in the diverse set of experiences which people with disabilities live every day.

The team started co-designing with members of the disability community, building an in-depth understanding of the obstacles that people with vision, mobility, cognition, speech, and hearing disabilities face while trying to use technology tools.

An early concept sketch of a pen grip with a Y-shaped topper intended to be held in the user’s mouth.
Early concept of a pen grip with a mouth-held topper.
An early concept sketch of a pen grip with a large bulb-shaped topper.
Early concept of a pen grip with a large bulb-shaped topper.

The team began by validating assumptions and studying commonly used analogue tools and adaptations, and then exploring ways to expand the use of two digital pens (Microsoft Classroom Pen 2 and Microsoft Business Pen) to users with limited mobility.  The team collaborated with occupational therapists and users with limited mobility in schools and hospitals to align on a core set of grips and design constraints.  After the initial validation work, the engineering, design, ergonomics, and user-research teams put the wheels in motion by developing a robust attachment mechanism.

We created computer-aided-design (CAD) models mimicking a wide range of grip shapes and sizes to conform to the needs of users with varying accessibility requirements. We also designed tail caps to hold the pens securely in the grips.

Picture showing six 3D-printed prototypes of gen grips for users with varying accessibility requirements.
First set of 3D-printed prototypes.

Next, we produced 3D-printed grips and distributed them to select school districts and organizations to gather feedback directly from educators and occupational therapists working alongside users with limited mobility.  This helped us tweak the shapes, size, weight, textures, buttons and adhere to our “one size fits one” approach.

A user sketches on a Surface Go while holding a large Textured Conical Pen Grip with buttons, paired with a T-shaped tail cap.
Textured Conical Pen Grip (large, with buttons) paired with a T-shaped tail cap.
A user sketches on a Surface Go while holding a medium Smooth Bulb Pen Grip with buttons, paired with a Disc-shaped tail cap.
Smooth Bulb Pen Grip (medium, with buttons) paired with a Disc tail cap.
A user sketches on a Surface Go while holding a medium Marker Pen Grip without buttons, paired with a Disc-shaped tail cap.
Marker Pen Grip (medium, without buttons), paired with a Disc tail cap.
  • Rendering of a small Marker Pen Grip with buttons; shown with a Pinch tail cap.

    Marker Pen Grip

    Small size, with buttons; shown with a Pinch tail cap.

  • Rendering of a medium Textured Conical Pen Grip with buttons; shown with a Pinch tail cap.

    Textured Conical Pen Grip

    Medium size, with buttons; shown with a Pinch tail cap.

  • Rendering of a large Smooth Conical Pen Grip without buttons shown with a Pinch tail cap.

    Smooth Conical Pen Grip

    Large size, without buttons; shown with a Pinch tail cap.

  • Rendering of a medium Textured Bulb Pen Grip without buttons; shown with a Pinch tail cap.

    Textured Bulb Pen Grip

    Medium size, without buttons; shown with a Pinch tail cap.

  • Rendering of a small Smooth Bulb Pen Grip with buttons; shown with a Pinch tail cap.

    Smooth Bulb Pen Grip

    Small size, with buttons; shown with a Pinch tail cap.

Rendering of the four available tail caps.
Tail-cap options (left to right): Disc, Hex, T, and Pinch.  A Pinch tail cap is included with every pen grip.

Animation showing assembly and disassembly of adaptive pen grips.

Availability

In October, 2022, the 3D-printed pen grips and tail caps became available for Microsoft Classroom Pen 2 and Microsoft Business Pen through our 3D-printing partner, Shapeways.

  • Order grips.  Available for Microsoft Classroom Pen 2 or Microsoft Business Pen.  (Not compatible with Surface Pen, Surface Pen for Business, or Surface Slim Pen at this time.)
  • Instructions for use

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