Spring 2006

Sometimes field workers need to take photographs of objects and send them back to base, along with related documentation - showing faulty or damaged goods, for instance. Whilst the availability of camera phones has made this easier, so far it has not always been a simple matter to link images to words.

Now Destiny Wireless, which has made its name in what it calls "Digital Pen and Paper" technology, is offering a system called Photo Upload for integrating form data filled out with its electronic pens and photographs taken on camera phones. Leeds City Council and Equita are reported to be early adopters.

In essence, the user fills out one of the special printed forms that are used with the Destiny system, and the Anoto pen automatically detects the content in the usual way; then a Bluetooth link between pen and camera phone allows the user to select an image or images to attach to the resultant file.

The whole lot is then saved or transmitted back to base by GPRS - a process which already uses Bluetooth to harness the wireless capabilities of the phone.

 

The underlying software can be set up if required to make it mandatory to include the attachment.

According to Destiny chief executive Edward Belgeonne, one of the key attractions is that the system removes the need for reconciling images and data afterwards.