Optical Character Recognition (OCR) refers to the technology and process of converting printed or written text into a digital format that can be edited, searched, and analyzed by computers. It involves the use of specialized software and hardware devices to recognize and interpret the characters or patterns in scanned documents or images.
OCR technology uses various techniques to recognize characters from the input image, including pattern recognition, feature detection, and machine learning algorithms. The process starts by scanning or capturing the image of the document or text, which can be a printed paper, a book, a photograph, or any other visual medium. The captured image is then analyzed and processed by OCR software that attempts to identify individual characters or words.
The OCR software uses complex algorithms that analyze the shapes, sizes, and patterns of the characters and compare them with a database of known characters or patterns. Once the characters are recognized, the OCR software converts them into machine-readable text that can be further processed or stored as digital data.
OCR technology has various applications, including document digitization, automated data entry, document indexing and search, text-to-speech conversion, and language translation. It facilitates efficient and accurate data extraction from physical documents, eliminating the need for manual typing or manual data entry.
Overall, optical character recognition revolutionizes the way we handle and process printed text, making it easier to extract and utilize information from physical documents in a digital world.
