#Optical Reader
5 messages in this thread
I'm looking for a piece of hardware (and I guess the associated software)
for what I assume is called an 'optical reader.' I need to look at a page
of data that is in the form of one of those multiple choice tests where the
answers are indicated by filling in or blackening one of a series of little
boxes after each question. The optical reader looks at the page, reads the
data and the software allows for the data to be manipulated in whatever
manner is necessary for the data analysis. Ultimately I want to include the
data in a DBM program.
I've never seen such equipment advertised in the usual computer periodicals
or catalogs, so I don't know exactly what to call it. But it must be
readily available as data entry in the form I've described is so common.
Could a scanner be programmed to do the job?
If anyone is familiar with such equipment, I would be grateful for a reply.
Please leave E-mail. I'll be away for the next ten days, and the message
would probably scroll off the forum message base.
Thanks,
Rich
A scanner and computer could be programmed to perform this task but I don't
know of any package which is already configured to do this.
Perry,
Thanks. I think I will have to put together such a package. At first it
will have to run on an MSDOS system. Then, maybe Amiga. So far the prices I
am getting on optical readers are very high. ($12K bare bones, no software
– $50K turnkey system).
Richard,
How 'fast' does this system have to be? Are we talking about standard
'scantron' answer sheets, or do you need even more input than around 150
items per 8.5 x 11 page?
Victor A. Wagner, Jr.
Rich:
There are MSDOS OCR systems that might be able to do this (I see from
another message that you are aware that there are expensive specialized
systems for optical scanning — transfer agents use them for proxy cards
and testing companies use them for test grading in bulk all the time). I
don't remember the name of the setup we have at work, but it is supposed to
be used with an HP ScanJet. Total cost is in the $3,000 range, I think,
including software and hardware. I am not absolutely sure that this will
read "marked boxes", but it might. It is supposed to be able to read a
form, and turn the information on the form into a database file (i.e. give
it a list of addresses, and it's supposed to be able to be programmed to
recognize which area is the "first name" field, which is the "last name"
field, etc.). So you want me to check it out?
?|^] Ray Lewis