What is Optical Character Recognition (OCR)?
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a technology that uses optical character recognition algorithms to convert scanned documents, PDFs, or images of text into machine-encoded text. It is used to convert physical documents into digital formats and enable automated data entry into systems such as databases and spreadsheets.
How Does OCR Work?
OCR works by recognizing patterns and shapes within an image of text, such as letters and numbers. The process typically involves three steps:
- Pre-processing: This step involves preparing the image for recognition by enhancing the image, removing noise, and segmenting the image into individual characters.
- Recognition: This step involves using an OCR algorithm to analyze each character and determine its identity. The algorithm will determine the likelihood of each character being a certain letter or number based on its shape, size, and position.
- Post-processing: This step involves cleaning up any errors made by the OCR algorithm, such as misidentified characters or incorrect words, and converting the text into a machine-readable format.
Examples of OCR
OCR is used in a variety of applications, including:
- Data Entry Automation: OCR is used to automate the process of entering data from paper documents into computer systems, eliminating the need for manual data entry.
- Document Digitization: OCR can be used to digitize paper documents, allowing them to be stored, searched, and edited electronically.
- Automatic Number Plate Recognition: OCR is used in Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems to read license plate numbers and recognize vehicles.
- Text Recognition: OCR is used to recognize and extract text from images, such as in mobile apps that use OCR to read text from a photo.
Conclusion
OCR is a powerful technology that is used in a variety of applications to automate data entry, digitize documents, recognize text from images, and much more. To learn more about OCR, check out the following resources: