New OCR and OCV tool keeps misreads to a minimum

Leading machine vision systems supplier, Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ: CGNX), has introduced OCRMax, a new tool for optical character recognition (OCR) and verification (OCV) applications that gives vision systems and vision software the power to achieve the highest read rates while keeping misreads to a minimum.

OCRMax is fast, easy to set up and simple to use across all In-Sight vision system and VisionPro vision software platforms from Cognex. This all-in-one tool can handle character variations, text skew, proportional fonts and variable string lengths, making it the most robust character recognition tool in the industry.

The key to achieving the highest read rates with OCR technology is its segmenting functionality, which takes each character line and splits it into individual regions that each contains one character. This robust functionality ensures that the system can handle distorted, touching and variably spaced characters. It can also accommodate uneven surfaces and lighting variations on the production line. In addition, OCRMax lets users control key parameters to further improve segmentation performance, resulting in even higher read rates and fewer misreads.

An intuitive user interface also makes font training a very simple process. Users can also export and import fonts from external storage, making training easier and increasing the tool’s flexibility.  In addition, users can share the same fonts across multiple OCRMax tools, further streamlining and simplifying font management.

“Industries are putting a major focus on traceability in the supply chain. Consumers and other stakeholders are requiring it,” said Bhaskar Banerjee, business unit manager, Vision Systems. “OCRMax gives manufacturers the power to ensure that labels match products, to verify print legibility of codes and to match text to barcodes or 2-D Data Matrix codes. The ease of use and set up, powerful segmentation functionality and simple, flexible font training as well as the management that OCRMax offers, make it a powerful solution for any manufacturer.”