WRITING INSTRUMENT

As an aid to writing, this specification discusses a writing instrument (10) comprising:- an elongate body portion (12) enabling a user to grip the writing instrument, wherein the elongate body portion (12) comprises a distal end (D) and a proximal end (P), the proximal end and the distal end defining a principal axis (A) of the writing instrument (10);- an electronically actuated nib manipulator (14) attached to the proximal end of the elongate body portion (12), wherein the nib manipulator (14) further comprises an end portion (16) comprising a nib (18), and the nib manipulator (14) is configured to move the end portion (16) within a spatial domain defined (i) along first (XP) and second (YP) axes of a plane that is substantially orthogonal to the principal axis (A), and (ii) along a third (ZP) axis that is an extension of the principal axis (A);- an inertial measurement unit (20) configured to measure at least the position of the principal axis (A) relative to a writing surface (62); and- an electronic control unit (22) operatively coupled to at least the inertial measurement unit (20) and the nib manipulator (14);wherein the electronic control unit (22) is configured to obtain one or more segment formation commands, and to receive the position of the principal axis from the inertial measurement unit (20), and wherein the electronic control unit (22) is configured to electronically actuate the nib manipulator (14) so that the end portion (16) moves within the spatial domain to scribe a predefined character defined by the segment formation command onto the writing surface (62).