telautograph

The telautograph was an early form of electronic communication that transmitted handwriting over a wire. Invented by Elisha Gray in 1888, it allowed a person to write on a special pad, and a pen on a receiving machine would simultaneously draw an identical copy of the writing. This was achieved by using two electric motors, one at the transmitting and one at the receiving station, which were synchronized by electrical signals.

The system worked by sensing the movement of a stylus across a conductive surface. The horizontal and vertical movements of the stylus were translated into electrical signals that controlled the position of a pen at the receiving end. This meant that whatever was written or drawn at the sender's location would be replicated on paper at the receiver's location.

Telautographs were used for various purposes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They found applications in sending messages between different floors of a building, within businesses, and even between cities. The technology offered a way to send handwritten notes, signatures, and simple drawings where a telephone might not be suitable or where a written record was essential. While it predated the fax machine, it served a similar function of transmitting documents remotely. The use of telautographs gradually declined with the advent of more advanced communication technologies like the teletypewriter and the fax machine.