The Guardian Has A Look at Margaret Atwood’s book signing at the McNally-Robinson bookstore on Prince Street in downtown Manhattan. About 40 people had come to witness a long-awaited literary revolution: Canada’s greatest living novelist would sign books in New York despite the fact that she was in London.
“It’ll be like being the first man on the moon!” somebody said, trying to reassure Aki Beam, a New York librarian nervously waiting first in line to have her copy of Atwood’s new book signed by the LongPen’s robotic arm.
Signature machines
What this writer is using is a signature machine. Here is just one place that sells them Signature machines have been around for years. Authors have used this technology before so this current author should not get all the credit for the idea.
Re:Signature machines
Actually, this is different. Signature machines work like computer plotters, copying the same saved signature over and over. The device Atwood is using actually mimics her hand movements as she writes in real time, and includes videoconferencing equipment. Take a look at this previous story and the official site’s “What will it do?” section.