While email has certainly made it much quicker and easier to keep in touch with people, there's still something really nice about receiving a tangible hand-written letter. That's why the Bond service was created. It uses a pen-holding robot to create a "hand-written" note in your handwriting, which is then snail-mailed to a recipient of your choice.
First of all, why not just write the note yourself? Well, you could. Bond, however, uses swanky pens, inks and stationery, which you probably wouldn't bother buying just for occasional use. It also ensures that the text will remain consistent and error-free throughout your message, so you don't have to worry about fussing over a perfectly good note only to screw it up part way through.
Here's how the system works ...
Users start by submitting a handwriting sample online. The Bond software analyzes this to identify how you form each letter of the alphabet, along with things like the slant and spacing of your writing.
From there, whenever you want to send someone special a note, you choose a blank card from the Bond website, then send in the typed text that you want to have written, along with the recipient's name and address. One of the company's 11 robots will then write the text in the card, which will subsequently be mailed.
If you wish, you can instead opt for a handwriting style other than your own. Among the styles currently on offer is one that replicates the handwriting of Nikola Tesla.
With the current beta version of the system, users have to initially pay US$199 for Bond to learn their writing style. The cards cost just $2.99 each, or less for businesses making bulk orders.
You can see a demo of the service in the video below.
Source: Bond via Fast Company
