10,192 research outputs found

    A robust braille recognition system

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    Braille is the most effective means of written communication between visually-impaired and sighted people. This paper describes a new system that recognizes Braille characters in scanned Braille document pages. Unlike most other approaches, an inexpensive flatbed scanner is used and the system requires minimal interaction with the user. A unique feature of this system is the use of context at different levels (from the pre-processing of the image through to the post-processing of the recognition results) to enhance robustness and, consequently, recognition results. Braille dots composing characters are identified on both single and double-sided documents of average quality with over 99% accuracy, while Braille characters are also correctly recognised in over 99% of documents of average quality (in both single and double-sided documents)

    Document Image Analysis for World War II Personal Records

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    Complete collections of invaluable documents of unique historical and political significance are decaying and at the same time they are virtually inaccessible, necessitating the invention of robust and efficient methods for their conversion into a searchable electronic form. This paper presents the issues encountered and problems addressed in the MEMORIAL project, whose goal is the establishment of a digital document workbench enabling the creation of distributed virtual archives based on documents existing in libraries, archives, museums, memorials, and public record offices. Successful approaches are described in the context of the chosen data class: a variety of typewritten documents containing personal information relating to the presence of individuals in World War II Nazi concentration camps

    Sustainable Waste Sorter

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    Indiana University Purdue University IndianapolisThe purpose of this project is to help people eliminate the confusion on whether they should throw their trash away or dispose of it in a recycling bin. The sustainable waste sorter is an informative device that tells the user where to place their trash. Our customer and the origin of the idea came from an organization called Roche Diagnostics Operations. Roche Diagnostics Operations is a multinational healthcare organization, the Indianapolis location focuses more on creating and developing their diabetic test strips. The device is created of four main components which include a Raspberry Pi 2 Model B, a camera module, an LCD screen, and a casing/mount that holds all of these components together. All of these components are compatible with the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B. The software was programmed in Python and the database in MySQL. During the development of the device, the most challenging task was learning how to develop in the new language, Python. Once the device reached a stable state it was piloted at Roche Diagnostics Operations. The purpose of the first of three pilot sessions was to verify that the device worked in the environment and that the items entered in the database were recognized; as a result, the device passed that test. The second pilot session had the same purpose as the first pilot session but with more items in the database. The device received more interaction during the second pilot session, though the team decided to schedule a third pilot session once all the items were entered into the database and a revamped user interface was completed. The team entered about 800 entries into the database and created a new and interactive user interface for the device. The third pilot session was a success; the items that were scanned by testers were recognized and the new user interface was a success as well. Overall, the sustainable waste sorter project was successful and educational. We, as students, took all of our fundamental learnings from our previous courses and applied them to this project. This allowed us to enhance our problem solving and project management skills. As people use the device, we hope that it educates them on how to properly recycle therefore improving the environmental state of our planet.Computer Engineering Technolog

    The complexities of managing historic buildings with BIM

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    Purpose The adoption of building information modelling (BIM) in managing built heritage is an exciting prospect, but one that presents complexities additional to those of modern buildings. If challenges can be identified and overcome, the adoption of historic BIM (HBIM) could offer efficiencies in how heritage buildings are managed. Design/methodology/approach Using Durham Cathedral as a case study, we present the workflows applied to create an asset information model to improve the way this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site is managed, and in doing so, set out the challenges and complexities in achieving an HBIM solution. Findings This study identifies the need for a better understanding of the distinct needs and context for managing historic assets, and the need for heritage information requirements (HIR) that reflect this. Originality/value This study presents first-hand findings based on a unique application of BIM at Durham Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The study provides a better understanding of the challenges and drivers of HBIM adoption across the heritage sector and underlines the need for information requirements that are unique to historical buildings/assets to deliver a coherent and relevant HBIM approach

    Capturing natural-colour 3D models of insects for species discovery

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    Collections of biological specimens are fundamental to scientific understanding and characterization of natural diversity. This paper presents a system for liberating useful information from physical collections by bringing specimens into the digital domain so they can be more readily shared, analyzed, annotated and compared. It focuses on insects and is strongly motivated by the desire to accelerate and augment current practices in insect taxonomy which predominantly use text, 2D diagrams and images to describe and characterize species. While these traditional kinds of descriptions are informative and useful, they cannot cover insect specimens "from all angles" and precious specimens are still exchanged between researchers and collections for this reason. Furthermore, insects can be complex in structure and pose many challenges to computer vision systems. We present a new prototype for a practical, cost-effective system of off-the-shelf components to acquire natural-colour 3D models of insects from around 3mm to 30mm in length. Colour images are captured from different angles and focal depths using a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera rig and two-axis turntable. These 2D images are processed into 3D reconstructions using software based on a visual hull algorithm. The resulting models are compact (around 10 megabytes), afford excellent optical resolution, and can be readily embedded into documents and web pages, as well as viewed on mobile devices. The system is portable, safe, relatively affordable, and complements the sort of volumetric data that can be acquired by computed tomography. This system provides a new way to augment the description and documentation of insect species holotypes, reducing the need to handle or ship specimens. It opens up new opportunities to collect data for research, education, art, entertainment, biodiversity assessment and biosecurity control.Comment: 24 pages, 17 figures, PLOS ONE journa
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