Apple’s next Pencil might let you draw in the air or on any surface

Apple may be redefining how we interact with a stylus, as a new patent from the company suggests an upcoming Apple Pencil, which might finally break free from the screen. Currently, the latest Apple Pencil Pro needs a touch-sensitive surface for input, so that users can write or sketch their imaginations. However, a new patent suggests that the next-generation Apple Pencil could let you write or sketch in the air or on pretty much any surface.

Apple Pencil patent suggests a technology that lets you draw in the air

According to a patent document spotted by Patently Apple, a new Apple Pencil that can draw on any surface has been in the works. The patent reveals that the sensors that Apple is likely to use could be either an optical flow sensor or a laser speckle flow sensor. These sensors are similar to what you’d find in an optical mouse, picking up subtle shifts in light as you move the stylus above or across a surface.

Further, according to the patent document, to map the movement of the surface, the purported Apple Pencil would detect spatial-temporal image brightness variation, estimate the motion, and draw it subsequently on the connected screen. The optical sensors could also be used to detect characteristics of the surface, including position, orientation, and motion of the input device.