[FoRK] Return to an old thread: Digital camera-based bookscanner

[Ken Meltsner]

Google Ads showed me this one:

http://booksnap.atiz.com/

Software + cradle + cameras = fast book scanner (500-1000 pages per
hour claimed).

I did some math -- it's a feasible approach since your typical US
letter page has about 4M pixels at 200 dpi resolution; given that
consumer cameras (< $150)  are now shipping with 7 megapixel sensors,
there are definitely enough bits.

The only part that scares me is that they ask you to "request a quote"
instead of listing a price.  My guess is that it's probably in the
vicinity of a kilobuck (+/- 50%), but that's just based on the cost of
two good digital cameras and a decent copy stand with lights.

Not as fast as a good automatic flat bed scanner, but less destructive.

There's custom software to correct the images; a version of the
software is also available standalone for cleaning up snapshots of
whiteboards, etc.

Ken Meltsner