拓

red dot
red dot award: design concept 2008

design:
Luo Handong	Wang Ziguo	Yu Liu

拓 is a portable scanner that allows digital
note-taking on the pages of books that cannot
be written on – a useful aid for every student
or researcher.

People often want to make notes in the margin
or between lines when reading a book. This
obviously can’t be done, however, when the
book does not belong to the reader. 拓 (Ta) is an electronic product that can solve the
problem. It is a small, portable scan machine.
It is placed on the page and the scan area
(full or partial) is set with the pen. The screen
will show the material on the page. It allows
the user to make notes directly on the touch-
screen, with no need to print out the scan.

A translation of the Chinese character 拓 has to do with using the hands to make ink rubbings on cloth or leather from carved stones – that is to say, making a print. 拓 is therefore an appropriate name for this small- scale scanner. It takes on the appearance of a segment of a flower at its ends, making an impression of freshness and youth. Perhaps it will also refresh you when you are reading. 拓 is small enough to be carried anywhere.