A handheld stylus having an elongated housing, a writing and drawing implement disposed within the housing and including a tip extending through an opening at an end of the housing where ultrasonic waves radiate therefrom and are used for determining a position of the stylus; and at least one ultrasonic transducer disposed within the housing. The transducer may be a cylindrical piezoelectric transducer having a holder and a cylindrical piezoelectric film spanning between at least two spaced apart cylindrical surfaces of the holder, or a flat transducer having a diaphragm, and a piezoelectric material disposed on a surface of the diaphragm.