Apple is working on "haptic" stylus that simulates the feel of drawing on real surfaces

Drawing and painting on a tablet is a fun, and mess-free way to create art, without having to wash hands, or wearing aprons. The problem with drawing on a digital canvas, is that there is no way to simulate what it actually feels to scribble, brush, ink or dab on a paper surface... yet.

According to a patent filed July 30th, and titled “Touch Implement with Haptic Feedback for Simulating Surface Texture”, Apple is looking to enable artists and hobbyists to draw on any digital screen, such as the iPad, and perhaps even the rumored 12.9 inch iPad Pro, the latter being exceptionally suitable for the larger screen size.

Item [0016] of the patent describes: “... systems and methods for simulating texture of a surface via haptic feedback from a touch implement”. From this excerpt we can gather that the haptic feedback will come from the touch implement, (stylus) itself. Delving further into the document, the stylus will provide feedback similar to the Force Touch trackpad on the 12 inch MacBook, using microscopic vibrations designed to simulate the different levels of roughness and friction of paper.

This invention will greatly enhance digital painting and drawing applications like ArtRage! and Autodesk Sketchbook Pro, as well as many other iOS digital painting apps.

Back in May we talked about the possibility of Apple working on a stylus as an accessory to the iPad Pro, with the touchscreen as the provider of the haptic feedback, as well as improved accuracy on Retina displays.

This time, it seems Apple is looking to create a stylus, or other implement, that will work on its own, and provide its own feedback, as it interacts with different devices. This may very well mean that the iPad isn’t likely to change as a product, in its design nor in functionality, to maintain a cohesive experience. This also means that Apple will expand further into creating its own line of accessories.