Place an archival record under the camera, recognise its text and generate a description. At ARCHIVISTICA in Hof, 2dA and MICROBOX presented their joint innovation: AI processing inside the scanner, without sending archival images to external data centres for that processing.
What began as a question between two teams became a demonstration for the German archival community. At the exhibition, we showed how scanning, reading and describing records can work more closely together. Conversations with archive professionals highlighted the interest in local processing.
The collaboration began with a practical question: could the live feed from a MICROBOX camera connect directly to the processing software developed by 2dA? This brought together German camera and scanning technology with Dutch expertise in archives, data processing and AI.
The demonstrated application brings processing to the moment the camera sees a document. OCR recognises printed text, HTR supports handwriting recognition and the software generates live descriptions. Alongside the image, this produces information that can help make the record more accessible.
Processing builds a local AI memory in which information and connections between documents are recorded. AI processing takes place inside the scanner and works without an internet connection. Archival images and processed data do not need to be sent to an external data centre for that processing.
Not every project requires the same digital output. An organisation can have records read and described live in preparation for a physical transfer. It can also choose to store the digital images and information. AI processing and the AI memory remain local; the organisation chooses the arrangement that suits its work.
In Hof, we also presented our Scanning on Demand software, integrating automatic descriptions and our RPA software for automating process steps. This connects requests, scanning, description and digital delivery within the workflow.
The exhibition provided an opportunity to discuss applications with archive professionals for their own organisations. We look back warmly on the reception and our collaboration with the MICROBOX team. We also look forward to demonstrating this development in the Netherlands. To discuss what local processing could mean for your archive, please get in touch.