title: Ductus: a software package for the study of handwriting production.
abstract: Ductus is a software tool designed to analyze and aid understanding of the processes underlying handwriting production. Ductus is a digitizer-based device that provides online information on the handwriting process. It consists of two distinct modules that operate independently. The first module concerns stimulus presentation. It is particularly suited to experiments with children and patients presenting handwriting pathologies. The second module is devoted to data analysis. Apart from the geometrical aspects of handwriting, such as trajectory formation, Ductus provides a wide range of kinematic information, such as velocity, duration, fluency, and pauses, linked to the mastery of the movement itself. Ductus is available free from the authors. It works on a Windows platform with Wacom digitizers.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition, CNRS UMR 5105, Université Pierre Mendès France, Institut Universitaire de France, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guinet
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kandel
mesh_terms: D006236:Handwriting; D006801:Humans; D011584:Psychology / Q000295:instrumentation; D012984:Software; D014705:Verbal Behavior