Editorial Staff
Do you face language barriers and data entry challenges when you travel internationally? Then do not worry anymore. Today, I am going to share an advanced technology with you. This technology is helpful for you in domestic and international travel and tours. It saves you time in boarding and translating unknown languages into your own.
This technology has already been integrated in some areas, including airports and local stations. It has multiple uses and benefits. If you are an international traveller, this article will be very useful for you. Let’s start.
What is OCR technology and how does it work?
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a technology that turns text from images into a format that computers can read. This saves time and makes data processing easier. There are two parts to an OCR system: hardware and software. Hardware, like optical scanners, reads text, and software does further processing.
Some advanced tools use artificial intelligence to identify different languages and handwriting styles. OCR can be used for many things, such as streamlining processes and making people’s lives better. For example, people who have trouble seeing can read documents out loud if they want to.
The OCR Process
The process of OCR starts with capturing images of physical documents using a scanner. Then it converts the information into binary data. The software then analyzes the scanned image to identify light and dark areas. It categorizes them as background and text.
In the preprocessing, the image is cleaned and any minor errors are removed. It involves processes like deskewing or rotating the document, cleaning up edges, and clearing boxes and lines. The next step is text recognition.
For text recognition, the OCR software uses two complex algorithms: pattern matching and feature extraction. Pattern matching takes a character image, or “glyph,” and compares it to a stored image that looks a lot like it. It finds the best match among the stored glyphs by breaking them down into features like lines, loops, and intersections.
After the text data is extracted, it is turned into a digital file that can be a PDF file with notes added to it. Once a character is found, it is turned into an ASCII code so that it can be edited further. Before saving a document to use later, users must fix mistakes, proofread it, and make sure they know how to handle complicated layouts correctly.
How is OCR Technology Useful for Travelers?
OCR technology has multiple uses in the travel industry. It is useful for both national and international travellers. Here are some key uses of this technology in the travel industry:
1. Automated Passport Checks
Customs officers can scan passports and automatically get information like the person’s name, nationality, passport number, and date of birth using OCR technology. They do not have to write the information by hand. This greatly reduces the time it takes to process information.
2. Reduced Human Error
The risk of errors that may arise during manual data entry is reduced by OCR technology. It makes sure that passenger verification will be more accurate and consistent.
3. Improved Convenience for Travelers
At airports and border crossings, self-service machines with OCR technology are common. These let travellers scan their passports and handle immigration procedures on their own. Phone apps can also scan boarding passes and other travel documents with OCR.
4. Enhanced Security:
OCR technology can be connected to databases to find possible security risks or problems. It can also be used for document verification to make sure that travel documents are real, which stops fraud and the use of fake passports.
It is very important to use OCR to make borders safer. It helps authorities quickly and accurately check travellers’ details in no-fly and watchlists. This feature is very important for making sure that only real travellers cross borders.
5. Check Inns
Tourists can automatically check in at hotels by scanning their passports with the help of OCR technology on the hotel’s website or mobile app. The OCR will automatically extract data from the passport and fill it in the required information box on the website. This will make checking inns easier for travellers.
6. Making Global Travel Easier
OCR technology is a key part of making it easier for people to move around the world. Faster document checks and fewer mistakes made by hand make travel easier and more efficient. This level of efficiency is necessary to handle the growing number of international travellers. It further promotes connectivity around the world.
7. Removing the Language Barriers
International travellers face a big issue with the language difference. It is too difficult for them to read the local signs, transport instructions, locations and hotel menu cards. The OCR technology is very helpful for them.
Travelers can easily capture the picture of the text to translate and extract the text from that image using the OCR tool. Then the text can be translated using language translators like Google Translate. Some OCR tools also offer image translation services. Which is even more helpful for travellers.
How to Choose the Best OCR Tool?
There are a lot of OCR tools and applications available online and offline. Most of them are named as image to text converters. Each of them has specific properties and features. Choosing the right OCR tool for travelers is necessary for helping them in every situation. You can use the online image to text converter to quickly convert any image containing text into editable text format. I will give you some tips on choosing the best OCR tools for you.
1. Check the Efficiency
Speed and accuracy are the first things you should consider when choosing a tool. Some tools are very fast but they do not give accurate results. Similarly, some tools give accurate results but they are too slow to use. You should go for a tool that has both speed and accuracy.
2. Multiple Language Support
As an international traveller, you have to travel to different countries. All of them have different native languages. So, the image to text converter must support multiple languages. Also, verify the accuracy of different languages by comparing the results of some tools.
3. Work Offline
One of the major problems while travelling is the absence of the internet. When travelling, it is not necessary to have an internet connection all the time. So, you should go for a tool or an image to text app for Android or iPhone that also works offline.
Final Words
OCR technology has changed the travel industry by making things easier for both domestic and international travellers. It has streamlined processes and made them more accurate. OCR technology has many uses that make travelling better, such as automatically checking passports and translating between languages. As technology continues to improve, we can look forward to even more new apps that make travelling around the world easier and safer.
