Brainstorm - partial automation and ergonomics

[dtic]

Carpal tunnel worries in a recent thread got me thinking that frequent book scanning could pose risks of bodily injury from a lot of repetitive motion. Let this be a brainstorming thread for preventive countermeasures.

PROBLEMS i.e. manual actions to automate or ease ergonomically through better designs
- move platen up and down
- trigger cameras
- turn book page
- adjust book position and spine

SOLUTIONS . Some tried and tested, some just ideas.

Full automation. A fully automated scanner solves all the problems. That is a great long term goal since it would both prevent injuries and save the user time. However a fully automated scanner that is easy to construct and use isn't done just yet even though jck57 is blazing the trail. So in the short run other partial automations will be of use.

Counterweigh the platen to decrease needed arm power input. The hackerscanner uses elastic chords. Some other scanners have used traditional counterweights.

Automate camera triggering with CHDK and a script on a computer that autoshoots every three seconds (or other interval). Once you have CHDK on the camera the remaining scripting part is fairly easy.

Automate camera triggering with a mechanism that utilizes platen down motion. Not done yet AFAIK.

Automated (motorized) platen movement. Not done yet AFAIK. Could an electric drill (battery or wall plugged) be a suitable tool to hack for that?

Foot pedal powered platen movement. Talked about in various threads. Not done yet AFAIK.

Foot pedal to trigger cameras. Mechanical, using bike brakes. Or a usb foot switch for a computer that in turn triggers CHDK cameras.

Rubber finger tip for easier manual page turn. Very inexpensive, no construction needed.

Rubber-Finger-Tips.jpg (6.02 KiB) Viewed 2494 times

Design platen lifting handle to support alternating between right/left hand operation.

Auto adjusting spine cradle. jck57's design.

Please add ideas to the list!

[Gerard]

Automate camera triggering with CHDK and a script on a computer that autoshoots every three seconds (or other interval). Once you have CHDK on the camera the remaining scripting part is fairly easy.

i would consider to make every second an image, an software could check for duplicated images and throw them out, detecting the images while moving could be more problematic

Automate camera triggering with a mechanism that utilizes platen down motion. Not done yet AFAIK.

you can always place an small switch near you hands, and decide then when to shoot

Automated (motorized) platen movement. Not done yet AFAIK. Could an electric drill (battery or wall plugged) be a suitable tool to hack for that?

jck57 done that, have a look in his youtube channel

Foot pedal powered platen movement. Talked about in various threads. Not done yet AFAIK.

Foot pedal to trigger cameras. Mechanical, using bike brakes. Or a usb foot switch for a computer that in turn triggers CHDK cameras.

i had once an food switch, it sound better that it is, i prefer having my both feeds an solid ground while scanning

Rubber finger tip for easier manual page turn. Very inexpensive, no construction needed.

Rubber-Finger-Tips.jpg

feeling how many pages you have in hand is very important,


i am always dreaming of an self adjusting camera support

[dtic]

i would consider to make every second an image, an software could check for duplicated images and throw them out, detecting the images while moving could be more problematic

If the time interval is tuned to match exactly the users own page-turn-speed then moving to even more frequent photos would be of little use. The only benefit would be when the user is to slow on one page. The delay in such cases would be cut with 2 seconds. But that wouldn't happen often once you're used to the rythm of the machine I think.

Automated (motorized) platen movement. Not done yet AFAIK. Could an electric drill (battery or wall plugged) be a suitable tool to hack for that?

jck57 done that, have a look in his youtube channel

Can't find it. Or do you mean his older automatic scanner prototype.

Rubber finger tip for easier manual page turn. Very inexpensive, no construction needed.

Rubber-Finger-Tips.jpg

feeling how many pages you have in hand is very important,

The rubber finger tips actually help with that. You easier and more reliable grasp only one page at a time.

i am always dreaming of an self adjusting camera support

Added to the list. I can think of two kinds of automatic camera adjustments. One that mechanically adjusts the camera position (prevents need to dewarp). Another that uses software to zoom cameras to the size of the book page (prevents need to crop).

edit: sorry, I can't edit the first post for some reason. The list will continue down here then I guess.

[Gerard]

i would consider to make every second an image, an software could check for duplicated images and throw them out, detecting the images while moving could be more problematic

If the time interval is tuned to match exactly the users own page-turn-speed then moving to even more frequent photos would be of little use. The only benefit would be when the user is to slow on one page. The delay in such cases would be cut with 2 seconds. But that wouldn't happen often once you're used to the rythm of the machine I think.

when you have two images of the same page, it is possible to increase the dpi and or sharpens in two ways

• Super-Resolution http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdK5-gNf4Wg
• Align the images and averring the images (reducing the noise) and then let an sharpens filter run over it

the problem with fixed interval is, if you miss an page your have to correct this later in the post processing (sometimes it is just a little more bluer, very hard to see in the thumbnail images)
or you loosing 1-2 second per image, this sums up

but fixed interval shooting is not a bad solution, it is working

Automated (motorized) platen movement. Not done yet AFAIK. Could an electric drill (battery or wall plugged) be a suitable tool to hack for that?

jck57 done that, have a look in his youtube channel

Can't find it. Or do you mean his older automatic scanner prototype.

yes i mean the first automatic scanner

Rubber finger tip for easier manual page turn. Very inexpensive, no construction needed.

Rubber-Finger-Tips.jpg

feeling how many pages you have in hand is very important,

The rubber finger tips actually help with that. You easier and more reliable grasp only one page at a time.

i just have to try it, i'm using sometimes latex gloves this works also

i am always dreaming of an self adjusting camera support

Added to the list. I can think of two kinds of automatic camera adjustments. One that mechanically adjusts the camera position (prevents need to dewarp). Another that uses software to zoom cameras to the size of the book page (prevents need to crop).

it does not need to be automatically or software controlled, something with a wheel to turn and an way to see which the position is would be enough

edit: sorry, I can't edit the first post for some reason. The list will continue down here then I guess.

some users left this forum and delete all the their posts (maybe they made a business out of their ideas), this edit lock is to protect the knowledge in this forum

[dpc]

I'd like to add dampening of the book cradle to the list. Some have attached the cylinder of a bicycle pump to help dampen the release of the platen/cradle when it's moved from the "scan" to "page turning" position. Not having to worry about releasing the lifting bar and let it fall gently (but not too slow!) can eliminate 50% of the work in manual scanning.

[daniel_reetz]

i am always dreaming of an self adjusting camera support

Tell me more...

[Gerard]

camsuppoort_page0.jpg (158.42 KiB) Viewed 2407 times

1. threaded rod
2. nut
3. gear
4. ball bearing
6. chain/belt
7. motor

camsuppoort_page1.jpg (169.55 KiB) Viewed 2407 times

8. base
9. hinge

camsuppoort_page2.jpg (152.19 KiB) Viewed 2407 times

10. camera base
11. 1/4" camera bold

the cameras would take a picture of e.g. an QR-Code,
the software would calculate how the page is skewed
calculated how to turn the rods to bring the camera in an perpendicular position to the book page
then the motors could turn the rods or the user by hand

[dtic]

If the time interval is tuned to match exactly the users own page-turn-speed then moving to even more frequent photos would be of little use. The only benefit would be when the user is to slow on one page. The delay in such cases would be cut with 2 seconds. But that wouldn't happen often once you're used to the rythm of the machine I think.

when you have two images of the same page, it is possible to increase the dpi and or sharpens in two ways

Neat, I hadn't thought of that. Has it been tested to work as well on photos of text? One problem, for now at least, is that inexpensive compact cameras are pretty slow at taking shots. So slow that two shots per page might result in a little wait time.

the problem with fixed interval is, if you miss an page your have to correct this later in the post processing (sometimes it is just a little more bluer, very hard to see in the thumbnail images) or you loosing 1-2 second per image, this sums up

I have a handy (!) solution for the first problem that works pretty well. Once you get in the rythm of the timed interval you quickly sense when you're about to "miss the deadline" for the next shot. E.g. two pages stick. There is then just about time to move your hand into the frame, over the platen. Then just continue on the next shot. When all done browse the images as thumbnails to easily spot all the ones with a hand.

Re: camera adjustment. I made a "ledge" out of cardboard and tape to hold the camera roughly pointed at the platen. After placing the camera you fine tune its position by bending the cardboard a little. Works well. But it depends on how big of an issue warping is for the things you're scanning in the first place. It might not be good enough for illustrations or other images.

[abmartin]

Thought I would leave a couple comments.

Regarding footswitches: I made my own chdk switch (the usb hub method) and sacrificed a 1/4" guitar cable. I plug that into a Boss Fs-5u switch from my synthesizer. (Momentary, unlatching switch -- a lot of keyboard pedals latch) It's quite heavy-duty. It has made it through at least 25000 pushes. Solid as a beast. (Probably has been pressed another 10k times on the keyboard). I'd recommend that sort of a switch over a keyboard damper pedal. (most of those don't have detachable cords) I like to use music gear a lot, in part because I have it, but also because it is often amazingly durable. After all, these things are designed for the abuse of tours and drunk roadies.

However, when I buy a hackerspace kit one of these days, I am not going to stick with the footswitch. It would only work if your bookscanner could be operated from a seated position. After a couple hours, even switching feet, my legs cramp badly, since I basically have all the weight on one leg. (And I'm not weak for standing -- I use a standing desk at least 12 hours a day)

If you were intending to use a hackerspace scanner sitting down, a footswitch would probably be the best way to go. It also shouldn't be hard to build a simple treadle to raise the book to the platen, allowing two footed operation.



Regarding finger tips:
I am very nervous about such things. Most rare book libraries don't allow gloves anymore. Studies have almost unanimously shown that more damage is done to books by the lack of tactile sensation than by the small amount of oils in the reader's hands. They just ask that we wash our hands whenever we feel them getting sweaty or greasy. By most rare book libraries, I am talking the biggies -- Folger, Smithsonian, Huntington, British Library, BnF, etc... While scanning, I did try gloves once, and I found I was bending pages more than with my fingers. Turning pages usually is pretty easy when the hands are kept clean.

When I go to a library, I have a lot of kit with me, magnifiers, reference books, ir light, camera, a thin light (shaped like a piece of paper) for watermarks, etc... but NO gloves. (not that all libraries allow me to take in all the gadgets)