It is often the case to use a certain technology yet have no clue as to how it operates, right? One of those is OCR or Optical Character Recognition, a feature that is used by all of us on a daily basis and without even knowing it. OCR has been used in the most basic ways such as in the scanning of documents and even in the real-time translation of text.
In this article, You will learn about OCR and how it functions.
OCR is the short form of Optical Character Recognition. This technology enables a device, most of the time with a camera or scanner, to capture printed or handwritten text and transform it into a digital format. For instance, you can snap a picture of a book’s physical page and OCR will then digitize the text and make it available for editing and searching in a PDF or Word format.
The most impressive part? It is efficient and effective in its operation as it helps in reducing the time one would have to spend keying in the data and also assists in the conversion of the printed documents to digital format for easy storage and sharing.
Why We Need OCR in Our Life
OCR has changed a lot of activities in our day to day life like scanning books, documents, and even translating words from different languages. For example, the documents which were available only in hard copies can be scanned and made available in the digital format and thus can be archived for future use.
But this is not the only benefit of OCR, it saves time as well. It also makes it easier to access the information as compared to the other format. Documents which are scanned can be searched, modified and forwarded to other people within a short time. If you combine OCR with other technologies like the translation services that utilise artificial intelligence, it becomes possible to translate printed documents from one language to the other in real time.
Other Uses of OCR
While OCR’s primary function is digitizing printed text, it has many additional applications:While OCR’s primary function is digitizing printed text, it has many additional applications:
- Real-Time Translation: With OCR you are able to translate words on menus or signs for example by using translation apps.
- Taking Notes: Instead of taking a picture of the text and then typing it on a computer or any other device, one can simply scan documents, notes, or even receipts and get the text converted to digital format which can be easily managed.
- Data Entry: OCR is applied in business to digitize written or printed forms for instance, filling keyword or to automatically enter data into computer systems.
Conclusion
OCR is however not only a time saving method. It is an application that has helped us in managing printed documents by scanning books and making languages more understandable in the real world. From recognising written text in a document to translating words in an app, OCR is assisting you in the background.