Book-Digitizing Robots

Makarand writes "Robotic digitization systems are the new help available to complete voluminous scanning tasks. Robots that can turn the pages of books and newspaper volumes and attain scanning speeds of more than 1000 pages/hour are now available. They even use puffs of compressed air to separate sticky pages!"

Yeah but...

[mschoolbus]

What about that Speed Reading TV Offer I took advantage of?!?!?!?!

Digitizing Pr0n?

[Flamesplash]

They even use puffs of compressed air to separate sticky pages!

Whoah! I guess some pr0n really have decent articles.

Short Circuit

[sin(theta)]

Finally, Johnny-5 is coming alive!

DMCA smack down

[BMonger]

Those people in #bookz on IRC are gonna be so excited about this...

Re:Freedom 'Bots

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm not so sure that those holding the reins are going to be so interested in this--call me cynical.

There's an old saying: "If you don't like the government of a country in Africa, wait five minutes." /me is spending his vacation on safari in Pepsi Presents New Zanzibar.

Re:Yeah but...

[Ed Avis]

What about the scene in 'Short Circuit' (or was it the sequel) where Johnny Five is speed-reading all the books in the library?

Mmm, IN-PUT!

Re:Freedom 'Bots

[Herg]

Isn't Mozart already available in digitized format?

Re:But can they also

[TopShelf]

sure, as long as they get Popular Mechanics or something...

Re:Freedom 'Bots

[Joe the Lesser]

Would it make a difference for those who now have their minds closed to the idea of democracy?

Are you talking about the US Government here?

I'm all for democracy, of course...

[CommieLib]

But does this passage puzzle you a bit?

"Think about the power of bringing our library to little schools in the middle of Africa," Keller said. "Would it make a difference for those who now have their minds closed to the idea of democracy?"

I'm not sure I get the connection:

Mbutu: Hey, Kwasa, check out this copy of "The Horse Whisperer" on my Palm Pilot.

Kwasa: Incredible! We must hold free elections immediately!

Re:Sticky Pages

[Cackmobile]

nice one

¿ Step 3 is profit??

[colonelteddy]

Being able to scan 1000 oages an hour: $Lots

Converting 8 million volumes into a digital database: > $250 million

Having robots digitize every porn collection in the world, fast : Priceless

Finger lickin good

[dspfreak]

They even use puffs of compressed air to separate sticky pages!

I'm glad they didn't go with the design where it licked its thumb before turning each page. I hate that!

Book Ripping and Burning!

[Dr. Evil]

Time for a change in terminology.

Re:Digitizing Pr0n?

[msheppard]

I'm afraid a "puff of compressed air" ain't gonna unstick those pages.

M@

Re:Freedom 'Bots

[vidnet]

or oral arguments from the Supreme Court

Eh? Like the Clinton thing?

LORD - Dont you people see what's happening here?!

[blakespot]

I don't know about you, but when I see a robot latched onto one of humanity's tome's of knowledge, poring over it at 1000 pages / minute puffing and aiming its high resolution CCD, I see what is clearly the first step in the rise of machines which will lead to the utter anhialation of humankind!!! We can't just feed them our knowledge!!

For the love of GOD, someone check this!!

blakespot

Why the DMCA really does apply

[Slashdolt]

A book is essentially a form of encryption. You cannot copy pages from a book into a digital form without using some sort of technological device that breaks this "analog" encryption, which under the DMCA is clearly illegal.

Expect to see these outlawed real soon. Either that, or expect a "Steven King" model to be available this fall.

--
Slashdolt

Re:Freedom 'Bots

[PateraSilk]

To crib some characters from lower down--

It might turn them on to the idea of thinking for themselves, though.

Mbutu: Whoa. Plato sez this is all a shadow of some higher plane of existence.

Kwasa: Die Hutu scum!

Unfortunately, just this very possiblity is threatening to those who are now profiting from their ignorance.

Mbutu: Whoa. Marx sez the capitalists exploit the surplus wealth from their employees. Adam Smith sez each person has the ability to trade freely in the marketplace to maximize his or her advantage. Why am I digging these diamonds for foreign robber barons again?

Kwasa: Die Hutu scum!

"Think about the power of bringing our library to little schools in the middle of Africa."

Mbutu: Whoa. Gandhi sez nonviolence is the best way to solve problems. What do you say to that, class?

Kwasa: Die Hutu scum!

Ahh, well. One can always dream, right?

For those antique books

[Anonymous Coward]

We can also put the digitizing, framing, and hosting services together for a prestigious piece of fine art. Imagine a beautifully framed old book that has been digitized for reading on the World Wide Web. The digitized antique book display provides a beautiful piece of art for your office, home or library and testifies to your gift of free reading on the Internet. The digital publishing preserves the unique signs of age of the book and proves that only you own the original book that was made forever visible by all.

Re:Hmm...

[bob_jordan]

" So what measures can we expect to see? Lighter inks, crazier fonts to screw with the robots OCR? Funny paper that makes it hard to flip pages? "

I think you just described a typical issue of wired. Are they worried about people copying?

Bob.

Buzzwords without a clue.

[Anonymous Coward]

Words like "Democracy" and "Freedom" is to an American what "Java" and "XML" used to be to a manager. Nowadays I guess it might be "C#" and "Dot NET".

The NWAA reponds to this threat

[Lumpy]

The NWAA (Novel Writers Artists Association) has issued that they will fight for legistlation to fight this piracy tool in congress.

"These reading Bots will put the book publishing business under within months..", their congress represenative said.

"There hasn't been this strong of an attack against the goodness of books and authors cince that evil man Gutenburgh created that evil printing press." Word on the street is that Hillary Rosen is oging to be hired as their spokesperson to help outlaw this evil that will undermine american life as we know it.

Re:Hard to read on a screen.

[Eccles]

This is neat stuff sure, but reading from a screen is hard, and most people will print it out anyways.

Am I the only person reading Slashdot who gets amused by someone who says that?

You won't get first post that way, anyways...

Re:Freedom 'Bots

[Idarubicin]

Freedom 'Bots

Word to the wise--since the invasion of Iraq is over now, we're allowed to call them French Bots again.