Czur scanner

[PeterT]

Just saw this IndieGoGo fund raiser --> Czur scanner : build your own digital library. Looks interesting.

[markom]

Future retail price (400 $ + taxes) would be great too.

Similar Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600 Overhead Scanner is at about 2 x 400 $.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=225290

[bgalbrecht]

My personal take is that it's designed to scan hardcovers that can be opened 180 degrees, probably not so good for paperbacks, which generally don't lay flat, and older, more fragile books. It looks like someone asked about that and the reply from the builders either didn't understand the question or dismissed it as unimportant.

[HarryT]

Agreed. For a general-purpose book scanner you need a V-shaped support with a separate camera for each side.

[markom]

Originally Posted by bgalbrecht

My personal take is that it's designed to scan hardcovers that can be opened 180 degrees, probably not so good for paperbacks, which generally don't lay flat, and older, more fragile books. It looks like someone asked about that and the reply from the builders either didn't understand the question or dismissed it as unimportant.

Using foot pedal to start the page scanning and both hands for stretching the paperback book maximally + software (for flattening curvatures, erasing fingerprints and (binding gap) shades) should be good & quick enough, I guess.

Or maybe using a fixed glass panel, by pressing paperback from underneath the panel (without moving the glass panel) for the special hard-core cases.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by markom

Using foot pedal to start the page scanning and two hands for stretching the paperback book + software (for flattening curvatures, erasing fingerprints and binding gap shades) should be good & quick enough, I guess.

Or maybe using a fixed glass panel, by pressing paperback from underneath the panel, without moving the glass panel for the special cases.

I don't see how software could flatten out a curve. It would have to be able to read what is in the curve. Sounds like an overpriced scanner unless it has an OCR and can convert to workable letters.
I can scan books with my cheap HP.
Works great for somethings and not so well for others.

[markom]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I don't see how software could flatten out a curve. It would have to be able to read what is in the curve. Sounds like an overpriced scanner unless it has an OCR and can convert to workable letters.
I can scan books with my cheap HP.
Works great for somethings and not so well for others.

There is OCR and they say its software can automatically and quickly flatten the curves, erase fingerprints, purify the background and correct distortions, like e.g. Abbyy Finereader's FotoReader for images taken with smartphones/cameras.

http://www.abbyy.com/ocr-sdk-windows...ts/camera-ocr/

[HarryT]

I really don't want to flatten out my books, though. Other than properly bound hardbacks, opening a books flat creases the spine (if it's a paperback) and can damage glued-in bindings.

[Turtle91]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I don't see how software could flatten out a curve. It would have to be able to read what is in the curve. Sounds like an overpriced scanner unless it has an OCR and can convert to workable letters.
I can scan books with my cheap HP.
Works great for somethings and not so well for others.

Originally Posted by markom

There is OCR and they say its software can automatically and quickly flatten the curves, ...

Yes. There is post-scan software that will correct these errors...kind of an interesting process if you are interested in that kind of stuff (here's a cool video of some college students working with scanning several hundred pages per minute). They have software at DIYBookScanner.org that will do a really good job - for free. Obviously the better image/scan you can get in the first place drastically reduces the number of errors, and it speeds up the whole conversion process.

I'd recommend using some kind of platen to flatten the page, and cradle the book at a comfortable 90-100 degrees with scans as perpendicular to the page as possible.


edit: ooops forgot the link to the video:
here
and another cool one here

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Turtle91

Yes. There is post-scan software that will correct these errors...kind of an interesting process if you are interested in that kind of stuff (here's a cool video of some college students working with scanning several hundred pages per minute). They have software at DIYBookScanner.org that will do a really good job - for free. Obviously the better image/scan you can get in the first place drastically reduces the number of errors, and it speeds up the whole conversion process.

I'd recommend using some kind of platen to flatten the page, and cradle the book at a comfortable 90-100 degrees with scans as perpendicular to the page as possible.


edit: ooops forgot the link to the video:
here
and another cool one here

You may have made my life easier. I have a book that needs scanned so I can publish it.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

You may have made my life easier. I have a book that needs scanned so I can publish it.

Expensive solution for one book. You'd be better off using a commercial scanning service.

[Cinisajoy]

I was referring to the free software the poster posted. I have a scanner.
Not buying the machine.

[XXCoder]

I got mine, but unfortunately still unable to make it work, some sort of driver issue. :P