Developments in text recognition
The technology of text recognition has come a long way since its initial development. Originally limited to the recognition of special printed fonts, OCR was gradually expanded to a wider range of fonts, and then ICR was added for handwriting recognition. However, even this did not provide a complete range of text recognition options. Now, intelligent word recognition, or IWR, is being developed for the recognition of cursive text. This will make it possible for document automation tools to recognize any computer-printed text, hand-printed text, and even cursive writing. While IWR is not yet fully developed, it is well on its way to completing the full range of recognition possibilities.
Unique features of intelligent word recognition
IWR is very similar to ICR in some ways, but there are some key differences. While both types of software break text down into a series of lines, curves, and shapes in order to identify the contents, IWR recognizes entire words rather than individual characters. Like ICR, IWR adapts to different people's handwriting as it goes. One important feature of IWR is its reliance on a dictionary of possible words, which limits its ability to recognize information. The size of the dictionary is therefore a determinant of the effectiveness of the software.
Implementing intelligent word recognition
IWR has not yet reached a level of reliability that would allow it to be implemented easily in a document automation tool. The software is still in stages of development, and cannot deliver the flawless results that professional software must provide. However, with some improvements, IWR software will make it possible to automate more forms and to do so with greater accuracy. It will enable document automation programs to provide a wider range of services, removing limits on the type of text that can be recognized automatically.
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