Digital Pen to Speed up Compiling Mark Sheets

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 24 (IANS) A digital pen for transcribing data on the front page of answer sheets can minimise human error and speed up the process of compiling mark sheets, the makers claim.

The device set - a digital pen along with a tablet - called 'Orion LICR' has been developed by Orion India Systems Pvt. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Orion System Integrators Inc., New Jersey with offices in Kochi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

After an answer sheet has been evaluated, the digital pen can be used to transcribe the marks awarded for each question on the front page, before these are totalled.

When the pen is used to write the marks, the data gets transferred to the tablet via bluetooth in real time.

"By eliminating manual data entry, the solution expedites the digitisation process and minimises human error," T. Thomas, an official of the Kochi-based Orion, told IANS.

He said the allotted marks can be seen on the tablet -- both in the handwritten form and in digitised format using the pen. A tap on the check-box on the tab ensures that the correct marks are captured. The data is then instantaneously transferred to centralized servers, speeding up the process of publishing mark sheets.

According to Thomas, universities and schools that manually feed marks into the computer will benefit from the device.

This patent-pending product won the National Award for Innovation in the Testing and Assessment Tools category for the year 2014 at the e-India Innovation Awards function held recently in the state capital.

Many universities, including the Mahatma Gandhi University of Kerala, are seriously considering the use of this digital pen, Thomas told IANS.

He said the cost of the device depends on the variant being used or the number of examiners or answer sheets, but the ballpark cost of a device would be under Rs.10,000.