Receiving a handwritten letter is one of life’s rare pleasures — but one company is using technology to make the experience more common.
Bond employs robots or “bots” that can mimic the handwriting of individuals, producing letters and notes that look authentic. The New York-based company targets business people, but it wants individuals to use the service too.
“We have really set out to … create a truly personal experience that lets people deliver that personal touch,” founder and CEO Sonny Caberwal told Fast Company last month.
First, a customer submits a handwriting sample, which is analyzed for unique characteristics, including spacing, angles and patterns.
Next, the customer types a message on a computer or mobile device and the bot writes it with a pen on stationery, which is finally mailed to the recipient. Each note is unique, with enough variation to look like the real thing.
Fast Company writer Rebecca Greenfield analyzed a bot-written note based on her handwriting. Her verdict: “The penmanship is cleaner, more methodical, a little too consistent. But the words capture my essence.”