BookScanner

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Hive13 Project
BookScanner
[[<flickr>4713316418</flickr>|200px]]
Status: Active
Start Date: 06/15/2010

Overview

This is a project by User:DaveMenninger to build a device for digitizing books. The device itself is based on designs found at http://bkrpr.org/ and http://diybookscanner.org/

Theory of Operation

Books' page images are captured, two at a time, using the book scanning device. The image files are transferred via the memory cards to a PC for post-processing.

Setup

1. Turn on the cameras.
2. Connect the video out and turn on the video display device, if used.
3. Place the book on the cradle.
4. Align the cameras with the text of the pages.
   • Use the video display to double-check throughout scanning process

Scanning

1. Lower the platten onto the book.
2. Press the trigger on the handle.
3. Raise the platten.
4. Turn the page.
5. Repeat.

Technical Details

Hardware

<flickr>4704525999|right|s</flickr> Frame:

• 16" cube - wood, plexiglass, woodscrews
• 1/4" bolts - 2 of
• 1/4" nuts - 4 of
• 1/4" washers - 6 of

<flickr>4704528709|right|s</flickr> Stand:

• corrugated plastic sheet, cut into interlocking triangles

Cameras:

• Canon PowerShot A530 - 2 of
• SD memory cards - 2 of
• AA batteries - 4 of

<flickr>4712676411|right|s</flickr> Trigger:

• PVC tube
• two-port USB port
• momentary switch
• wire
• springs
• 3xAAA battery pack from flashlight
• tape, glue

<flickr>4713315894|right|s</flickr> Video Switch:

• 3-port RCA module
• DPDT switch
• scrap of plexi-glass
• wire, screws

Other:

• mini-USB cords - 2 of
• 3.5mm to stereo RCA cords - 2 of
• standard RCA video cable
• video display device (TV)

Firmware

• StereoDataMaker: http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/sdm/index.htm

Software

1. File renaming / sorting:
   • Ant Renamer http://www.antp.be/software/renamer
2. Image processing (rotating, cropping, deskewing):
   • ScanTailor http://scantailor.sourceforge.net/
   • BookLiberator http://bkrpr.org/doku.php?id=download
3. OCR:
   • Cuneiform http://en.openocr.org/
   • tesseract http://code.google.com/p/tesseract-ocr/
4. Document creation (PDF)
   • iText http://www.itextpdf.com/

Next Steps

• Producing better images -> better OCR
  • will be upgrading cameras from A530's (5MP) to A590's (8MP)
• Sturdier book cradle / stand
  • sliding on rails
• Halogen lighting
• Vertical stand
  • sliding, spring-loaded platten
• Attach trigger to frame as handle
• More articulate camera mounts

Images

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave_menninger/sets/72157624160466751/

Resources

• http://www.diybookscanner.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
• http://bookliberator.com/doku.php
• http://diybookscanner.org/
• http://sites.google.com/site/decapodproject/
• http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1422 - Makerbottable camera mounting clamp
• http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/sdm/index.htm - StereoDataMaker