What is an Autopen? The Autopen machine is a mechanical device used to automatically recreate genuine-looking signatures of a given person. These machines were first developed around the beginning of the 20th century but only became widely used in the last 60 years or so. Although most people are unaware of their existence, Autopen machines are widely used by government institutions, businesses and celebrities. Even some astronauts unknowingly ended up with Autopen signatures of their fellow astronauts in their own personal collections.