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Google's Book Scanning Technology Revealed

Posted by kdawson on from the real-page-turner dept.

blee37 writes "Last March we discussed Google's patent for a rapid book scanning system. This article describes and provides pictures of how the system works in practice. Google is secretive, but the system's inner workings were apparently divulged by University of Tokyo researchers who wrote a research article on essentially identical technology. There are also videos of robotic page flippers and information about how Google wants to use music to help humans flip pages."

5 of 100 comments (clear)

  1. Now my PC by bugs2squash · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can RTFA for me

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    Nullius in verba
  2. MRI technology? by maillemaker · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I often wondered if it would be possible for a book to be scanned while closed, using some kind of MRI technology that digitally sliced the book page by page, picking up on the density difference between the ink and the paper slice by slice.

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    A work that expires before its copyright never enters the public domain and thus enjoys eternal copyright protection.
    1. Re:MRI technology? by SnarfQuest · · Score: 5, Insightful

      When the book is closed, the ink from facing pages will be mashed together, shouol you will need to be able to tell which page the ink is attached to. Since the ink mostly sits on top of the paper (if it soaks through you wouldn't be able to read the other side veery well) it is a very thin layer. Your scanning technology would need to be able to sense very small volumes of ink. I don't think we are anywhere close to the necessary precision yet.

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  3. summary of summary. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    human type book into PC, machine print book on paper, machine binds book ---time goes by--- machine unbind book, robot and human flip pages of book, machine photograph book, machine put book on PC.

  4. Re:Librarian Chantey by FooAtWFU · · Score: 5, Funny

    Cape Cod ladies don't use no books -
    Haul away, haul away!
    Well they read their stories on robotic Nook®s
    and we're bound away for Australia!

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