Apple patent reveals stylus that draws in air, no screen needed

India Today

09-07-2025

Apple might be rethinking how we use the Apple Pencil, and the future looks like it could involve drawing in thin air. A newly granted patent suggests that Apple is working on a stylus that doesn't need a screen or even a surface to function. Yes, you read that right. According to a report by Patently Apple, this next-gen Apple Pencil could let you write or sketch in the air or on pretty much any surface — like a wooden table or even your wall — and still track your input with precision.advertisementThe idea is to use optical sensors inside the stylus that can track movement, tilt, and position in 3D space. These sensors include things like optical flow detectors — similar to what's used in your computer mouse — and more advanced laser-based tracking. That means even if the Pencil isn't touching a screen, it could still record your strokes by scanning how the light around it shifts as you move it. The patent even says this could work from a short distance, such as 10 centimetres above a surface.One quote from the patent sums it up well: 'The optical sensor(s) can be configured to measure displacement of internal components of a stylus,' allowing it to work even when not in direct contact with a surface.
There's more. One version of the Apple Pencil described in the patent uses a trackball at the tip — think old-school computer mice — but instead of mechanical tracking, Apple is suggesting using internal optical sensors to detect the ball's motion. This setup could help avoid common issues like scratching or dirt build-up while still offering accurate input tracking. According to Apple, this design also improves signal-to-noise ratios and works across more types of surfaces, regardless of their texture or reflectiveness.Beyond just drawing or writing, Apple's patent hints at combining this motion-sensing tech with other sensors, like force detectors, inertial measurement units, and even machine vision. In simple terms, that means the Apple Pencil could eventually support air gestures, better handwriting recognition, or even 3D object creation. These additions would make the Pencil a useful tool not just for iPads, but also for Apple's spatial computing devices like the Vision Pro.Of course, this is just a patent for now, so there's no guarantee it'll launch soon — or at all. But it does show that Apple is still experimenting with what more a stylus can do.- Ends