Help needed: DIY pen tablet fitting on a computer screen

Hello!
My name is Philippe and I'm new here. Since I'm an almost complete electronic newbie, what I will basically ask in this forum is "What particular self-learning I need in order to do that particular project?" or "What is the topic list of my lack of knowledge (for that project)?"

Lately I've been envying over those expensives LCD screens with pen tablet technology (an example here: Cintiq 21UX Product Overview). As a digital artist, having one of those is optional but it would be a lot of fun and convenience. So I have some ideas about making a cheap DIY rig and I obviously need help.

I am on the idea of using my existing professional 24" LCD computer screen and put a set of simple sensors on the sides for the tracking of the stylus. A little force sensor would be used for the reading of the pressure on the tip of the stylus. I was thinking about using an Arduino board for that, but would a complete DIY electronic board be cheaper and more convenient? It would need a USB communication protocol, or something like that.

My problem is in the choice of the sensing technology for the position tracking. Obviously I don't want a bulky makeshift set of yoyo pots attached to the stylus. Instead I would need reliable high-resolution no-contact stuff. That wouldn't be any Wacom-like technology since they use a board like sensor and I would prefer something that could be fitted on the sides of any computer screen.

I though about having a set of distance sensors performing triangulation. Would using IR range finder (having the receiver on the sides of the screen and the emetting LED on the tip of the pen) would work, or the beam really needs to be reflected in order to work? Do I have more reliable optical solutions for that?

Do you have any suggestions? Maybe I've missed something that would make my life easier. But I'm really considering doing some serious self-learning about digital electronic, so I could make by myself the cheaper board I can design.

(and please don't tell me that I can't because I'm only a commonner and that would require advanced digital electronic knowledge I have once asked for help for a DIY rig on an engineering forum and they just throwed me the fact that it would be impossible for me. I'm really interested by electronic, so I will eventually be saavy enough for this, don't worry )

Philquiet said:

and please don't tell me that I can't because I'm only a commonner and that would require advanced digital electronic knowledge

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I'm afraid that it is probably true. What you are attempting is very difficult to build from scratch.
One possibilty would be to make a glass screen overlay with pressure sensors in all 4 corners and using an Arduino board, or other MCU, to compute the stylus position from the 4 readings.
What electronic projects have you successfully finished to date?

A few but this was soldering an existing kit. Sorry for being a big mouth. I knew I shouldn't go to far I guess I'll stick to the Arduino board

I'm thinking about that pressure sensor, and I'm foreseeing some trouble, but I'll think more about that. My real question was

Would using IR range finder (having the receiver on the sides of the screen and the emetting LED on the tip of the pen) would work, or the beam really needs to be reflected in order to work?

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Does something that work like that exist? If yes, do you have any circuit?

EDIT: The fact that it wouldn't work as been figured out. I'll then resume my brainstorming.