Created by Italian design firm Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA), the marker-type pen can be utilized to draw by hand, but it's being made specifically for use by the company's existing Scribit wall-drawing robot.

Its refillable, reusable barrel is made from the buyer's choice of wood or bioplastic – people who don't care about going fully compostable can also opt for anodized aluminum. The replaceable nibs and cartridges inside that barrel are composed of "natural fibers," while the non-toxic water-based ink is actually certified as edible … although you probably wouldn't want to drink it.

"We were troubled by the amount of plastic produced by the markers that the [Scribit] robot uses," says CRA president Carlo Ratti, who is also director of MIT's Senseable City Lab. "By developing the new Scribit Pen, we can turn one of humankind's primordial acts – drawing – into a fully sustainable one."

The pen is currently still in development. There's no word on when it may be commercially available.

Source: Scribit