Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a technology that continues to be developed and get used a great deal across various industries. It has the ability to convert printed or handwritten text and turn it into digital text.
There are many different benefits that can be enjoyed, with many businesses finding that it can be effective in saving time and also being cost-effective. The tech is able to do a number of tasks that eliminate the need for human labor, which can also then help them to reduce and minimize any potential errors that may occur when individuals are trying to read things they can not easily understand.
Elsewhere, OCR tech also enables handwriting capability on mobile devices for non-Latin script languages, simplifies the publishing process for authors and publishing houses, and eases translation between languages. Furthermore, OCR enables visually impaired individuals to access written material through audio devices.
As a result of its growth and continued development, it can be used to scan texts from images, which has made it even easier than ever for translation and photo-to-text conversion to take place. This is something that the Chinese language has benefited from highly, with those who try to learn Mandarin now able to use the software to their advantage.
How does OCR technology work?
OCR technology is able to operate effectively when it is able to use the algorithms within its software to analyze the text of an image or document. What will happen is that the software will remove any noise that can be found in the image first, before it starts to read the text. It will recognize individual characters before starting its process whereby they will be converted into their digital form.
The technology has only come on leaps and bounds in recent decades following the emergence and continued development of smartphones and tablets. Nowadays, populations such as the one in China are now able to use photo-to-text conversion to extract text from the images that are captured in an instant.
How has OCR technology become useful with the Chinese language?
Chinese is known to be a difficult language to anyone who is foreign to it, as traditional letters are not used to form sentences or words. Mandarin and other dialects that make up the language typically use symbols. OCR tech has made it easier than ever for those who wish to communicate in Mandarin to do so, as they can use the technology to snap a picture of the symbols and convert it into text immediately.
However, there have been some challenges given the complexity of the Chinese language and its use of symbols instead of traditional letters. The characters that are used are far more difficult to interpret and read accurately, while the fact that there are thousands of different characters that are unique can make the entire recognition process even more difficult.
Nonetheless, as with many other technological resources, there have been continuous updates and upgrades that have made the software even better. OCR is now able to read more with accuracy through the use of advanced algorithms, thus giving it the ability to recognize a wider range of characters without any trouble.
Final Thoughts
Chinese is an immensely difficult language that demands dedication and effort from anyone looking to learn it, yet OCR technology is helping make learning much simpler through photo-to-text tools that convert text. While the Mandarin dialect can be more difficult than usual to grasp at first, learning Chinese dialects has never been simpler with these resources, as well as finding ways it can enhance everyday tasks more.