Optical character recognition, or OCR for short, is a type of tech that is capable of capturing text from physical sources and turning it into digital data. This tech actually has its origins in the early 20th century, although it wasn’t until the 1970s that it really gained traction. Today, OCR is widely used in a range of contexts, and delivers a raft of benefits to businesses and individuals alike. https://www.tycoonstory.com/technology/applications-and-benefits-of-optical-character-recognition-technology/

1. Applications and Benefits of Optical
Character Recognition Technology
Optical character recognition, or OCR for short, is a type of tech that is capable
of capturing text fromphysical sources and turning it into digital data. This tech
actually hasits origins in theearly 20th
century,althoughit wasn’tuntilthe 1970s
that it really gained traction.
Today, OCR is widely used in a range of contexts, and delivers a raft of benefits
to businesses and individuals alike. Let’s look at where it is used, and what
advantages it offers.
Document scanning for preservation purposes
Digitizing text through OCR goes above and beyond the basic scanning of
documents to create digital image files. It extrapolates the meaning from the
written word contained on the pages, and makes this searchable and
translatable, which is ideal where preservation is required.
Physicaldocuments invariably deteriorate over time, but with OCRit is possible
to digitize them efficiently and make them available to future generations.
Everything from scientific papers to religious texts, from wills to poetry, can be
scanned and interpreted through OCR, aiding researchers as well as casual
observers.

2. Enabling accessibility
Another excellent application of OCR is that of making written text accessibleto
those who may be incapable of consuming it in its original form.
People with visual impairments, for example, will be able to access any
document ever written even if they cannot read the words on the page itself.
It could be argued that this is not equivalent to reading, of course, but this
misses the point that there is value in all sorts of different yet parallel
experiences. For example, playing at live casinosis a uniqueexperience, yet that
does not detract from the quality of the online-only, purely digital equivalents
to this.
Ensuring security
The fragility of physicaldocuments goes hand in hand with their vulnerability to
theft. With the help of OCR, businesses and government organizations can
create digital copies of documents which can not only be stored centrally, but
also secured far more rigorously and cost-effectively than their paper
counterparts.
Digital documents can be easily copied and backed up across severallocations,
eliminating the worries regarding hardwarefailure, and also making things like
fire, decay and natural disasters essentially irrelevant.
Applying automation
Automation and artificial intelligence are becoming more important as time
passes, and providing a raft of benefits in their own right. With OCR tech tied
into such solutions, the possibilities are endless.
Obviously therearethe data processing perks thatdigitized text brings into play
that have already been mentioned, and as these services are increasingly
automated, it is a matter of improved efficiency for organizations of all sizes.

3. Then there is the way that OCR can work in fields such as robotics. If machines
are endowed with integrated OCR abilities, they can do a better job of
interpreting the world around them, whether that might mean reading road
signs,heeding warningsigns,parsinginformation fromfull-length documents or
responding to requests written by humans.
Tackling crime
An offshootof the automation aspectjustdiscussed is theuseof OCRin thefight
against criminal activity.
Automatic number plate recognition is widely used by law enforcement
authorities in many parts of the world to allow vast numbers of vehicles to be
scanned and scrutinized in an instant.
So from looking out for wanted felons to fining people who fail to pay for a
parking ticket, OCR is working behind the scenes in so many scenarios today.
OCR technology is crucial in so many contexts, and will likely become more
important as time passes and our reliance on digital data grows.