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Does using this over other OCR depend on your use case? I just tried this to extract the text from the back of a nutrition bar label: https://i.imgur.com/rRtu

by rob 3y ago

Does using this over other OCR depend on your use case? I just tried this to extract the text from the back of a nutrition bar label: https://i.imgur.com/rRtuBCu.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/rRtuBCu.jpeg The output missed almost all of the actual ingredients under "Ingredients:" (see: https://i.imgur.com/latOiqk.png https://i.imgur.com/latOiqk.png) whereas Amazon's Textract had no issues at all (see: https://i.imgur.com/hAVzbUR.png https://i.imgur.com/hAVzbUR.png) (For Amazon Textract, I used the "Layout" feature and the output is a result of combining the lines under each "LAYOUT_TEXT" block.) I also have no idea what I'm doing, so maybe the Apple one is better/can do the same and I just don't know how.

snailmailman 3y ago
For one thing, apples OCR runs entirely on device. When scanning documents, if any are sensitive I don’t want them going to a cloud service.
crazygringo 3y ago
To be fair, that's a pretty pathological image to try to OCR. :) It's wrinkled and not flat so lines aren't straight, it's got big dark shadows going across text, and very low resolution for the letterforms. Even I have an awfully hard time reading parts of it. OCR is generally designed for flat documents in relatively even lighting with a decent resolution. Different OCR software may do better or worse the further you get away from those ideal conditions, but using an image like yours to compare OCR software is like trying to compare a Porsche and a Ferrari by how well they drive through a muddy jungle.
- rob 3y ago
  Hahaha. Yeah, I figured I'd try it with a "harder" image for a personal project I'm working on — something you'd expect someone to take a photo of with their phone that isn't perfect. So I've been playing around with all sorts of OCR stuff. I was really surprised at how well Textract was able to read the text from that dark line with the fold in the image.
fragmede 3y ago
My iPhone picked up: Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 Bar (68g) Calories 240 Calories from Fat 45 Percent Daily Values (UV) are based on a 2.000 calorie diet Amount/Serving Total Fat 59 Sat. Fat 1.5g % DV 8% 8% Amount/Serving Amount/Serving % DV* % DV Sodium 150mg Potassium 230mg 7% Insoluble Fiber 3g Sugars 23g Trans Fat 0g Total Carb. 44g 15% Other Carb. 17g Cholest. 0mg 0% Dietary Fiber 4g 16% Protein 10g 20% Vit. A 30% • Vit. C 90% • Calcium 25% • Iron 10% • Vit. D 10% • Vit. E 100% • Vit. K 25% • Thiamin (81) 10% Riboflavin (82) 15% • Niacin (B3) 15% • Vit. B6 20% • Folate 20% • Vit. B12 15% • Biotin 10% • Pantothenic Acid 20% Phosphorus 10% * lodine 10% * Magnesium 15% * Zinc 10% * Selenium 10% * Copper 8% • Manganese 10% • Chromium 6% Oxide, DL-Alpha Tocophery Acetate (Vit. E), ferric Ortophosphate (Iron), Beto Carotene (Vit. A), Zinc Citate, Biotin, Niacinamide (Vit. B3), D-Calcium Pantothenate (Vit: 85), Phytonodione Vit. Kl, Manganese Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Riboflavin (Vit. B2), Folic Acid (Vit. B9), Sodium Selenite, Thiomin (Vi. B1), Pyridoxion Hvdrochloride (Vit. 86), Ergocolterol (Vit. U24, «vanocoboiomin (Vit. 812), Chromium Chioride, Potassium lodide, ALLERGEN STATEMENT: CONTAINS SOY. MAY CONTAIN CERTIFIED TRACES OF MILK PEANUTS, WHEAÏ, AND TREE NUIS. WE SOURCE INGREDIENTS THAT ARE NOT GENETICALLY ENGINEERED. *Rainforest Allionce Certified" COCOR เมยESSUSL 1800C1948179-55T • 2013 CUF BAR & COMPANY • TRADENARKS AND REGISTERED TRADEMARES ARE ONNED BY CUF BARE COMPANY OR USED WITH REUMSSION CERTIFIED ORGANIC DY DA! HIGH IN PROTEIN - 0g TRANS FAT - 70% ORGANIC INGREDIENTS ADVENTURE SAFELY: ALL RISK AND LIABILITY IS YOURS. BEST BY 222 CLIF BAR FAMILY FOUNDATION.ORG clifbar.com 30J AN16G1 09: 09 H
- veidr 3y ago
  I mean, that's about how well I did when I looked at that image, too...
qingcharles 3y ago
GPT gives me: Serving Size: 1 Bar (68g) • Calories: 240 • Total Fat: 5g • Saturated Fat: 1.5g • Trans Fat: 0g • Cholesterol: 0mg • Sodium: 150mg • Total Carbohydrate: 44g • Dietary Fiber: 4g • Sugars: 23g • Other Carbohydrates: 17g • Protein: 10g • Vitamin A: 30% • Vitamin C: 90% • Calcium: 25% • Iron: 10% • Vitamin D: 10% • Vitamin E: 100% • Thiamin: 10% • Riboflavin: 15% • Niacin: 15% • Vitamin B6: 20% • Folate: 20% • Vitamin B12: 15% • Biotin: 10% • Pantothenic Acid: 20% • Phosphorus: 10% • Iodine: 10% • Magnesium: 5% • Zinc: 10% • Selenium: 10% • Copper: 8% • Manganese: 10% • Chromium: 6% • 70% Organic Ingredients The ingredients listed on the label are as follows: Organic Brown Rice Syrup, ClifPro® (Soy Rice Crisps [Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Flour, Barley Malt Extract], Organic Roasted Soybeans, Organic Soy Flour), Organic Rolled Oats, Chocolate Chips (Dried Cane Syrup, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Lecithin, Vanilla Extract), Organic Cane Syrup, ClifCrunch® (Organic Oat Fiber, Apple Fiber, Inulin [Chicory Extract], Organic Milled Flaxseed, Organic Oat Bran), Organic Date Paste, Organic Sunflower Oil, Molasses Powder, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors, Cinnamon. Vitamins & Minerals: Dicalcium Phosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Ascorbic Acid (Vit. C), DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit. E), Beta Carotene (Vit. A), Niacinamide (Vit. B3), Ergocalciferol (Vit. D2), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vit. B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vit. B6), Riboflavin (Vit. B2), Cyanocobalamin (Vit. B12). ALLERGEN STATEMENT: Contains Soy. May Contain Traces of Milk, Peanuts, Wheat, and Other Tree Nuts.

by rob 3y ago

snailmailman 3y ago

For one thing, apples OCR runs entirely on device. When scanning documents, if any are sensitive I don’t want them going to a cloud service.

crazygringo 3y ago

To be fair, that's a pretty pathological image to try to OCR. :) It's wrinkled and not flat so lines aren't straight, it's got big dark shadows going across text, and very low resolution for the letterforms. Even I have an awfully hard time reading parts of it. OCR is generally designed for flat documents in relatively even lighting with a decent resolution. Different OCR software may do better or worse the further you get away from those ideal conditions, but using an image like yours to compare OCR software is like trying to compare a Porsche and a Ferrari by how well they drive through a muddy jungle.

rob 3y ago
Hahaha. Yeah, I figured I'd try it with a "harder" image for a personal project I'm working on — something you'd expect someone to take a photo of with their phone that isn't perfect. So I've been playing around with all sorts of OCR stuff. I was really surprised at how well Textract was able to read the text from that dark line with the fold in the image.

fragmede 3y ago

My iPhone picked up: Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 Bar (68g) Calories 240 Calories from Fat 45 Percent Daily Values (UV) are based on a 2.000 calorie diet Amount/Serving Total Fat 59 Sat. Fat 1.5g % DV 8% 8% Amount/Serving Amount/Serving % DV* % DV Sodium 150mg Potassium 230mg 7% Insoluble Fiber 3g Sugars 23g Trans Fat 0g Total Carb. 44g 15% Other Carb. 17g Cholest. 0mg 0% Dietary Fiber 4g 16% Protein 10g 20% Vit. A 30% • Vit. C 90% • Calcium 25% • Iron 10% • Vit. D 10% • Vit. E 100% • Vit. K 25% • Thiamin (81) 10% Riboflavin (82) 15% • Niacin (B3) 15% • Vit. B6 20% • Folate 20% • Vit. B12 15% • Biotin 10% • Pantothenic Acid 20% Phosphorus 10% * lodine 10% * Magnesium 15% * Zinc 10% * Selenium 10% * Copper 8% • Manganese 10% • Chromium 6% Oxide, DL-Alpha Tocophery Acetate (Vit. E), ferric Ortophosphate (Iron), Beto Carotene (Vit. A), Zinc Citate, Biotin, Niacinamide (Vit. B3), D-Calcium Pantothenate (Vit: 85), Phytonodione Vit. Kl, Manganese Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Riboflavin (Vit. B2), Folic Acid (Vit. B9), Sodium Selenite, Thiomin (Vi. B1), Pyridoxion Hvdrochloride (Vit. 86), Ergocolterol (Vit. U24, «vanocoboiomin (Vit. 812), Chromium Chioride, Potassium lodide, ALLERGEN STATEMENT: CONTAINS SOY. MAY CONTAIN CERTIFIED TRACES OF MILK PEANUTS, WHEAÏ, AND TREE NUIS. WE SOURCE INGREDIENTS THAT ARE NOT GENETICALLY ENGINEERED. *Rainforest Allionce Certified" COCOR เมยESSUSL 1800C1948179-55T • 2013 CUF BAR & COMPANY • TRADENARKS AND REGISTERED TRADEMARES ARE ONNED BY CUF BARE COMPANY OR USED WITH REUMSSION CERTIFIED ORGANIC DY DA! HIGH IN PROTEIN - 0g TRANS FAT - 70% ORGANIC INGREDIENTS ADVENTURE SAFELY: ALL RISK AND LIABILITY IS YOURS. BEST BY 222 CLIF BAR FAMILY FOUNDATION.ORG clifbar.com 30J AN16G1 09: 09 H

veidr 3y ago
I mean, that's about how well I did when I looked at that image, too...

qingcharles 3y ago

GPT gives me: Serving Size: 1 Bar (68g) • Calories: 240 • Total Fat: 5g • Saturated Fat: 1.5g • Trans Fat: 0g • Cholesterol: 0mg • Sodium: 150mg • Total Carbohydrate: 44g • Dietary Fiber: 4g • Sugars: 23g • Other Carbohydrates: 17g • Protein: 10g • Vitamin A: 30% • Vitamin C: 90% • Calcium: 25% • Iron: 10% • Vitamin D: 10% • Vitamin E: 100% • Thiamin: 10% • Riboflavin: 15% • Niacin: 15% • Vitamin B6: 20% • Folate: 20% • Vitamin B12: 15% • Biotin: 10% • Pantothenic Acid: 20% • Phosphorus: 10% • Iodine: 10% • Magnesium: 5% • Zinc: 10% • Selenium: 10% • Copper: 8% • Manganese: 10% • Chromium: 6% • 70% Organic Ingredients The ingredients listed on the label are as follows: Organic Brown Rice Syrup, ClifPro® (Soy Rice Crisps [Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Flour, Barley Malt Extract], Organic Roasted Soybeans, Organic Soy Flour), Organic Rolled Oats, Chocolate Chips (Dried Cane Syrup, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Lecithin, Vanilla Extract), Organic Cane Syrup, ClifCrunch® (Organic Oat Fiber, Apple Fiber, Inulin [Chicory Extract], Organic Milled Flaxseed, Organic Oat Bran), Organic Date Paste, Organic Sunflower Oil, Molasses Powder, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors, Cinnamon. Vitamins & Minerals: Dicalcium Phosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Ascorbic Acid (Vit. C), DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit. E), Beta Carotene (Vit. A), Niacinamide (Vit. B3), Ergocalciferol (Vit. D2), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vit. B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vit. B6), Riboflavin (Vit. B2), Cyanocobalamin (Vit. B12). ALLERGEN STATEMENT: Contains Soy. May Contain Traces of Milk, Peanuts, Wheat, and Other Tree Nuts.