Again in 2002, Google initiated a really formidable challenge: digitizing the entire world’s books — a lot of that are out of print, uncommon, or in any other case tough in your common particular person to entry. That challenge in the end failed as the results of authentic copyright infringement claims from authors and publishers. However there are nonetheless many tens of millions of titles with out authorized entanglements that will profit from digitization. To make that simpler and extra inexpensive than ever earlier than, Redditor bradmattson designed this automated e-book scanner.
This isn’t only a digicam mounted on a tripod above a desk — such methods exist already and are pretty inexpensive. That is a complete machine able to effectively scanning many books with minimal operator oversight. It is usually moveable and able to folding into a comparatively compact briefcase for transportation to new areas, reminiscent of public libraries, native e-book shops, and the personal vaults of the rich supervillains that guard the revealed works of the Illuminati.
To get the ball rolling, the operator locations a stack of books on a tray on one aspect of the machine. A command on a laptop computer working the Python-based management software program then begins the scanning course of. The machine grabs a e-book from the tray and slides it over to the scanner space. There, it makes use of a suction gripper to seize the quilt and open the e-book. Subsequent, an actuated arm pushes a plexiglass panel down onto the e-book to flatten it. Whereas it’s in place, the laptop computer snaps a photograph utilizing an overhead digicam. To flip to the subsequent web page, the plexiglass strikes again out of the way in which and the machine makes use of a small PC fan to grip the paper gently via unfavorable strain. It folds the web page over and the method repeats till the e-book is finished. Then it strikes that e-book out of the way in which, grabs the subsequent, and does the entire thing once more.
The laptop computer controls that difficult sequence of motions via an Arduino Giga R1 growth board. Bradmattson put a CNC defend on that to regulate the machine’s stepper motors and a separate driver board handles the machine’s servo motors. Relay modules toggle energy to the lights and the suction gripper’s vacuum motor.
The entire course of is pretty fast. However extra importantly, it’s computerized. That signifies that it solely wants minor supervision and the operator can do different duties whereas the machine is at work digitizing the entire content material locked away in previous books — even those who comprise the secrets and techniques of the Illuminati.
