TextDetective
Description of App
Text Detective finds and reads text in printed documents within seconds using your iPhone’s camera. The detected text can easily be read, edited, copied and pasted into documents, emails or other apps. It even stores all the scanned text in a history, which allows you to refer to it later. Every step is accessible.
Text Detective works best with the clean and crisp text you find in documents, and at a distance of about the length of a forearm. You can use it wherever you go, and you don’t need to worry about network coverage – it even works on the plane.
The app is optimized for iPhone 4S, but can be used with iPhone 4 and iPod touch. If you want to use Text Detective on an iPad, please be aware that the camera position is different to the one on the iPhone / iPod, which might require additional training and practice to align the camera lens and align the text.
The creation of this product was supported in part by SBIR grants from the National Institutes of Health (grants no. EY011821 and EY020707).
Text Detective by Blindsight is covered by U.S. Patent No. 7,817,855, and pending US and international patents.
Version
Free or Paid
Compatibility
Device(s) App Was Tested On
Accessibility Comments
This app is fully accessible with VoiceOver.
Comments
#1 Initial Impressions: Not so Good
This ap seems to be targeted at people with some usable vision. It appears to be using a live video stream to detect regions of text, where it then performs OCR on what it finds. With good ambient light, I wasn't able to get it to read several documents I had lying around. However it did read some gibberish when I tried it with my computer monitor. I will continue to play around with the app, but just be aware that it doesn't seem to hold a candle to the KNFB Reader.
#2 Keep testing
I have little more than light perception myself, and in testing, the alignment is what's vitally important. This isn't a replacement for KNFB reader, but merely a new avenue for OCR/scanning available now for iOS devices. Make sure lighting is good, as well as the documents are crisp. The app doesn't do well with noisy text, such as that found in magazines, orpictures. Good luck, and thanks for persevering!
#3 My Impression
Played with this particular app for the past day. I am using an iPhone 4. So my testing will probably differ than those with the 4s that comes with a better camera.
I really love the interface. It is very easy to navigate around. Everything is certainly well labeled. Probably one of the best when it comes to being very accessible.
Just like any other OCR on the iDevices. I just don't have a whole lot of luck!
First and foremost. You will have to figure out the alighment on your own. That is pretty much a given for most OCR apps I've played with. It is all about the height, how level your camera is to the document, and lastly the lighting.
This will not scan from an angle nor if it is upside down. So it will detect the text when it is right side up.
The instruction says to have the camera about a forearm height.
Not sure but it could be my phone for only being an iPhone 4 but I have no luck at all with this height.
However, if I take it down to say a phone height level. I have great success. Sure I will have to scan the document several times in order to read the entire document but it works great at this level.
My research involved a couple of things. A document I recieved in the mail, a book, and a magazine.
The document that I recieved in the mail went rather well. As long I stayed at that phone height level. I was able to read the entire document in two scans.
The book was a bit harder. Depending on if it is a big book or a smaller book. The book has to be very flat. No curve as a book will bow out on you. So you will have to work on making that absolutely flat. Once I've done that. I had to cover up the other side of the page so it wouldn't bleed in to my camera shot. However, once those magical tricks that I had to do was in placed. It went rather well. So don't expect this app to be some miracle OCR that I can scan the entire book. Way to complicated and cumbersome to do that but for scanning a single page. It went well.
Now, lastly the magazine. The same rules apply I had with the book had to be used here on the magazine. It has to be perfectly flat. Be very careful because the magazine has a slicker type of paper. So reflection will be a major factor in your results as well. So make sure your light source is to the side and above. This was more of a challenge. Again, You can't just take a simple single picture of the entire one side of the page and expect an result. That is unfortunetly a wishful thinking in a perfect world. However, I did have good results when I did find text for the camera to find at the phone height level. So the more noise that are on the page the less of a result you will have.
Overall, I've played with a lot of OCR apps and for that matter wasted a lot of money in trying to find that perfect OCR app.
I gotta admit I liked this app quite a bit. It wasn't perfect but it certainly was better than some OCR apps I've tried.
Most of all it was very accessible to use.
Now in saying all of this. The 3GS and the iPad will have a camera that is less powerful than on my iPhone 4. So I'm afraid the results will be even worse on those devices. However, I don't know that for a fact but just putting it out there because I haven't tested it on those devices.
This will certainly work for me when I am away from my desktop that has a flatbed scanner. It is no subsitute to the flatbed scanner of course but for reading documents in two scan with my iPhone it works great for me.
So with that. Remember there are no magical OCR app that will work the way we want it to. I sure wish it did but as the camera gets better in our devices. I think the results will only get better.
So if you don't own an OCR app and want something that will work some what then this app is for you. However, if you already own like the Prizmo or those other over price OCR app like Zoom Reader. Don't bother. You will not get any better of a result with this.
This does certainly make to my most favorite OCR app.
So keep everything I said in mind before you make a purchase. Most of all this is only in my observation. I would be curious what others have found in their results and would love to hear of your comment for this particular app.
So happy scanning!
#4 My impressions
Firstly, let me say that i've had much experience using various OCR apps and this is the most accessible. With regards to messing around with camera based OCR, i've been doing this for a good 5 years, first with the KNFB reader classic and now with an Intel Reader, getting good results from both.
I'm running it on a 4S. After a single scan I was able to get results from a letter. The edges were cut off somewhat, but I got more results from this particular app than any of the others.
Secondly, it'll be interesting to see where this app is heading. For those who are less understanding of document alinement and such, some variant of the field of view report might be worth including in a future release.
Finally, I can say that this particular OCR app is one to watch, rather more impressed generally with it than all the other expensive ones.
#5 audio demo please
could we here an audio demo to see how the app successfully works?
#6 wow! awesome
ive been using prizmo on the iphone 4s, although the best ocr on the market its very time consuming with its menu options.
text detective is amazing as it works similar to the looktel apps in that results are in real time. you simply shine the iphone over text and results are instant. it even worked on the tv screen! so effortless and fast.
the only downside is it lacks a flashlight option. i have contacted the dev but they need more people to provide feedback and comment. please also provide comments on itunes as they are also monitoringg feedback there as well.
this is now my main day to day ocr app.
#7 Best results from an OCR app yet
Good work. this app has gotten the best results yet, and it is easy to use. As I have said before, at the risk of sounding repetitive, I am really looking forward to future enhancements of this app.
#8 Very good app
Hi. I took the plunge and purchased this app yesterday. I have to say the low price tag tempted me and I couldn't resist purchasing it. I didn't have any high expectations for this app as the previous 5 other apps in my folder had let me down. Once purchased and downloaded I began to put it through it paces. I was amazed at the results that I got from my scans. I'm still trying to figgure out how I can capture as much text as I can in one shot but that may take some practise. I definately think this app is way superia than the others because it's video technology. I only wish I had waited and not wasted my money on the other apps.
#9 Great app, worked the first time.
Played with this app today on my iPhone 4S and was quite surprised how well it worked. First time at work I've been able to reliably get an app to OCR hard copy documents.
#10 Just tried this and I've not
Just tried this and I've not managed to get accurate OCR though I will give it more time and try practicing a little more.
The things I like about it are the simple interface and the speed at which it scans and performs the OCR. The user interface is much easier to use than other scanner apps I've tried.
The speed at which it processes a document is one of the main reasons that I will give it more time to see if I can get better OCR results out of it as it would be excellent if I could.
#11 Height
Neo,
I would curious what kind of device you are using?
It is all about the height that you try to use your camera at. So if you have an iPhone 4 try it at 3-4 inches above something. Gibberish means either the item you are trying to scan is either very busy with things on it or the camera height ts taken at a height that it can't make a read on the text.
Let me know if you get a different results at a closer scan of the document.
#12 would recommend this app, shows potential
Hi,
I purchased this app yesterday, and I am impressed, this app is the first one I have had good results with, all the others I have tried have been utterly useless, including far more expensive ones like prizmo which I never got to work.
With the app, I have successfully been able to scan information from a business card from my ophthalmologist.
I couldn't get consistent results with every scan, I also found issues where the app would get stuck showing the OCR at 100 percent, or it would say the OCR was complete and display a blank text field.
Also, I couldn't get any of the actual contact information to scan, even though I tried both sides of the card, the most I could manage was the persons name, and some of his qualifications.
I think future updates should include the ability to use the camera flash, and also an ability to verbally tell the phone to take the picture like you can with prizmo, as I suspect some of the problem might be the phone not being steady when you first tap the scan button.
Still, the rescanning feature if it doesn't find text first of all is very useful, and as far as I know is unique to this app.
I will send my feedback to the developers, but I would say this app is well worth the money, and is probably limited at the moment by the iPhone camera, so it will be interesting to see what happens when the iPhone 5 comes out.
#13 using camera flash
Hello,
Text Detective has said that the ability to use the flash of the camera will be included in the next release. And if you could send your feedback to the developers, that'd be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much for writing!
#14 I'm using a 4s. I tried
I'm using a 4s. I tried putting my elbow on the table and then taking a scan at that height by holding the iphone horizontally in my hand. I also tried doing a close up scan which I think you suggested in an earlier message in this thread and it does seem to give slightly better results. It picks up enough words for me to work out what the letter is about but I can't get it to OCR enough of it for me to understand the details and the numbers for example I know are there.
It could also do with the lighting in the room where I'm trying it. I've not given up on it yet though.
#15 Good scanner app but not convinced
Hi
I have an iPhone 4S
I been using TextDetective since this Monday and I'm not convinced yet. Good app but I will wait for the next versions features.
#16 A pass without fail!
Having tried many an app, including some of the more expensive with help of my sighted brother to prove or disprove a point, this is in a league of it's own in my opinion.
I come from the Beyo CBS market for Nokia N82/N86, and to me, nothing was faster than it until now, for obtaining a good image and scanning text. The following is a list of what I've managed to get *recognisable* text from, in no particular order:
42 Inch TV displaying:
1. TV menu structure, some text correctly displayed
2. Sony PS3 login screen
23 Inch TV displaying:
1. Moving-text on a directline.com advert, text shown was, directline.com and some erroneous text
2. VirginMedia Tivo menu system, some text properly displayed
Bottle of PalmOlive hand-soap in my bathroom with bathroom light turned on, text displayed was: Palmolive
Front of washing-machine in my kitchen with no light turned on, other than ambient light from window, text displayed was mostly readable, cotton at 60C, fastwash at 60C and some other miscellaneous text.
Label on a cardboard box, text showed was: My wife's name, plus majority of our address
My business card, text displayed was: 98% correct, messing up a small portion of my email address
Overall an incredibly useful app, and money well-spent. Quite telling that, as a totally blind person, I could obtain much better results with this app, and my sighted brother failed to do so with a much more expensive app on the same phone and the same lighting conditions.
Pro's:
1. Easy-to-use if you have previously used similar apps., at least I personally think so.
2. The sheer speed of the scan is quite frankly unknown to me from any other iOS app. Taking a picture and in another part of the app, sending it off to be processed is a thing of the passed. This is up there with the now defunct Beyo CBS, it did a similar thing back in the Symbian days.
3. Price. What more needs be said?
Cons:
1. No quick way to delete all scans in the history tab when you no longer want them. tapping edit and deleting one-by-one is fine unless you have 25 different scans as I did, when I was going round the house like a kid in a candy store, finding interesting things to scan. I also found that VoiceOver would do it's oh so lovely disappearing act whilst deleting scans sometimes, where upon I would grit my teeth loudly, and wait for it to return in it's own sweet time...
2. Even in the tips tab, it does not suggest how you copy text. Easy to manage if you know that you can tap on the edit field, roter to the edit menu, choose select all, then copy, but could be more clear I feel.
That's about all I have to say here, but I hope these comments have been useful to somebody. For those having little success with this app, do consider that sometimes, not all the time, screen curtain active does strange things to the iPhone camera and I am not quite sure why. Disable it if you have it active, and you *may* have better results though I wouldn't guarantee this at all.
Thank you.
#17 To gain better results
For those wanting to gain better results, if you haven't, try disabling orientation lock so the phone can be in landscape when scanning documents. Even though text detective says it's in landscape, it's been said that disabling the orientation lock will be of some help.
Thanks!
#18 So many good scans
This app has done a great job with almost everything I've thrown at it. Not so much with a small paperback, but that's probably because of skew since I couldn't get it to lay exactly flat. Here's a list of items I've gotten to scan well enough to solve a real-world problem:
1. Packing slips at work that have PO numbers and manifests of items. This saves me a trip to the PC on a regular basis now.
2. Bootup message on someone's laptop that notified me that a system scan was taking place. This info gives me the patience and peace of mind to wait out the system scan when on previous occasions I was won't to fidget or find a sighted person to confirm what I was already 85% sure was the case. Thank you Blindsight for helping me deal with my character flaw.
3. Message on a subway pole about upcoming construction and changes to the schedule. Good to know.
4. Glossy museum brochure that I could literally read over my mom's shoulder while she was in town. Saves Mom from feeling that she has to be my own personal narrator of life. Bonus: I did this silently using a Braille display.
5. Plaques on exhibits at a museum. I need help spotting the plaques but then I can read them flawlessly. Again, this took so much social pressure off the sighted group I was with and let us all concentrate on the content. Thank you BlindSight.
6. An account number from a bank statement. It got a zero instead of an 8 the first time, but knowing that that text area was closer to the top of the page, I did a closeup shot and got the correct info on the second try.
7. This made me look dumb as all get out, but was fun - I walked along half a block and let the TextDetective start scanning until it found text. It's the only app I've found that will continuously check until text is found. In this way, I found a bunch of random ads and signs, but also discovered an Italian grocery and wine store that I had no idea was there, right along a path that I take at least once a week. I will not be continuing with this game because it will probably get me mugged one day, but it was very cool and I will do it again if I'm looking for a particular sign or entrance and I know I'm close.
8. The check at a restaurant. I confirmed what I read with someone at the table because I don't quite trust it yet, but it was correct.
This app is quick enough and accurate enough that I think it could even handle mystery signs that don't have raised print or Braille. Imagine confirming a sequence of two hotel room numbers - you'd be able to count on your own from those two and confirm when you find the right room. Ditto for those big poster signs that are all over the place at conferences.
I would love a field of view report and I'd also like to append a scan to previous scans, so as to capture a handout or magazine article. But for a first offering, this app is terrific; and for $2, it's a can't-miss.
One note of caution: This app is a battery vampire. If you plan to use it heavily every day - and I do - pack a JuicePack or a backup battery or plan to take a power break by an outlet more than once in a long day.
#19 Re battery
Yes I agree this App is a battery drinker. The phone also gets red hot after five minutes of use. Hopefully this will be fixed In the next update. but it is essential that we contact the developer otherwise we will see no updates.
#20 Best Scanning App I have ever Tried
First off let me say, that I have never used Prizmo or any of the more expensive scanning apps due to most of the reviews I wasn't going to shell out the bucks for an app that was difficult to use and received mixed results. For the $3 this app is amazingly impressive. I am using the Iphone 4S so may be that is why I have received such great results. Thanks to Andre for his list of things he has scanned with the app, as I would have never thought to try scanning my Tivo list. For me it is just guess what is where and go from there. I rarely turn light on in my apartment as it hurts my eyes, so yesterday when I first bought this app, I did turn some light on to scan the mail, and with limited light on had no problems scanning anything. While I still need to learn how to get the whole page of a piece of mail to scan properly and I am sure this will come with experience using the app, I was impressed to see that the app accurately scanned the mail so I could tell who things were from. I did have to scan some things a few times, but I think this is because I am not used to using OCR apps. The scanning process is lighting fast compared to anything else I have ever tried. I would always get gibberish from apps like say text and scan now or what ever the other ones I tried were called. I just scanned my Tivo list with no light on only the light from the TV, and in seconds I had my results. I also scanned a Fresh Direct meal last night and got my results in seconds. Much nicer than having to use VizWiz and wait for someone to tell me to hold the camera higher. Overall, I am very impressed with this app, and would suggest it to anyone looking for a scanning app who is using the Iphone 4S
#21 location of the scan button
Hi all, Having read all the comments, obviously I am missing such a simple piece of the puzzle. Where is the "start scanning" button? I selected the "scan tab" but can't find the button anywhere whether I swipe or look around on screen with my finger.
And Is it just me or the instructions don't read unless you put your finger on the "1 of 5" page element? I'm confused before I even have been able to use this app.
#22 The scan button's location
Hello,
If you start Text Detective, it will go into landscape and if your voiceover hints are turned on, when the app loads in landscape, you will hear home button to the left. If you turn your phone, then, where the home button is to the left, begin swiping right with one finger. The introduction message will say: "Text Detective, by Blind Sight." If you keep swiping right, after the text that tells you to tap the start scan button and point the phone at any printed text, you will come upon the 'start scan" button. then if you swipe right one more time, it will say the scan tab has been selected.
Hope this helps!
Rachel
#23 Another Rachel; I'm rachel
Another Rachel; I'm rachel too! -- ah man I feel kinda silly as I found it. I mustt of had my phone the wrong way this morning. I swear I was looking for it for hours! that's weird. I would ahve thought even if it was the wrong way, I still should have found it; ah well; thanks for this. :)
#24 results when scanning a box of strongbow cyder
I just used the app successfully to identify a box of strongbow cyder in the room where my Dad keeps his beers.
The OCR was completely accurate, and showed no rubbish in the OCR results field, it correctly displayed the text, "strongbow serve extra cold."
This wasn't a test run either, to check app performance, I genuinely had no idea if the box was cyder or some other kind of beer.
I also did a few tests with the light on and off, and also used the new version of light detector which can tell you how bright the room is as a percentage.
I found, that with the light off, light detector reported a brightness value of between 15 and 17 percent.
In this case, text detective wasn't able to identify any text at all.
However, with the light on, light detector reported brightness values between 27 and 30 percent.
With the light on, and the phone held far from the box, probably about a forearms length as the instructions say to do, is when I got my perfect results.
I think the light detector app could be quite useful for helping improve accuracy of text detective results.
It could be useful I think if text detective itself could measure brightness and give you a value as a percentage similar to how light detector does, as then you would only need to use the one app.
All the above was done using an iPhone 4s, and I was able to get consistent results several times.
#25 Version 1.0.4
Very nice new features in this update. You can now use your Flash during the scanning process. Also, you can now clear all of your History in one click!
What's New in Version 1.0.4
Two minor upgrades while we continue to collate user feedback
* control over the flash while scanning for text
* ability to clear all results in the results history
#26 success
I have had success with this app which is saying a lot as I hadn't had any results what-so-ever using the other OCR apps. I'm still practicing to get the entire document but I think I'm nearly there.
It does work. As others have said, if you get jibberish, it probably means you have the phone too low, or the page upside down or the page is blank.
I haven't checked out the new version yet but looking forward too.
#27 performance on iPhone5
Hi,
has anyone tried this app with the iPhone 5? I am planning to get the 5, and would like to know if the app runs on the 5,
and if so, what have results been like? Are they better, worse or the same as on the 4s?
I believe the camera is better at taking photos in low light conditions, so hoping that results might have improved.
thanks for any feedback.
#28 the scan button with text detective
Hi, I too can't find the start scanning button, I found the scan tab which I selected but see no start scanning button. I am using an iPhone 4 s thanks I just bought the app today.
#29 Location of the scan button
Hello, The start scan button is located just before the scan tab. The phone will be in landscape mode once the app opens, so you'll need to flick down and up, instead of side-to-side. If the scan tab is selected, you will then flick down (towards you), and the "start scan" button is visible for you to double tap and begin.
#30 the loacation of the scan button
Hi Rachel, I didn't realize that your first in the tutorial mode which is a good thing but something I didn't realize, one of the people from zello helped me thanks. Secondly, this app I haven't used a lot because I just bought it but wow just wow!!! I love it already. I read 2 pieces of mail and it even read my AC unit wow!!!
#31 tutorial mode
Hi, just thought those of you who are new to the text detective app might wish to know that when you first start the app your in whats called tutorial mode. I didn't know that and thanks to someone in the applivis channel I got help. In order to get through the tutorial mode you need to do your 3 finger swipe to the left and or right to get through the pages, there are 3 very short pages of info which is very helpful and then the app gets to the start scan button.
#32 Really Annoying About Text Detective
Does anyone else have this happen? Every time I launch Text Detective it wants me to rate the app. I have tried everything to get the app to stop asking me this, but it does everytime. I am getting ready to give the app a bad review as I paid for this app, and do not think they should be constantly asking me to rate it every single time I open it.
#33 No real success with an iPod touch 4th gen
Unfortunately, due to the limitations of the camera on the iPod touch 4th gen, this app didn't really work for me. i thought this might be the case but wanted to see for myself. The good news is i'll be getting an iPhone 5 next month so then i'll be able to put text detective through its paces. The app could be very helpful. My only issue is the limitations of my iDevices cameras. So i'm giving it a rating of, lets see. Will try it on the iPhone 5 and let everyone know my findings.
#34 rating
that's the thing that is totally annoying about text detective, each time I go into the app it asks me to rate it, I can't rate the thing if I've not used it enough. goodness.
#35 Version 1.2.0
What's New in Version 1.2.0
NEW FEATURES:
* significantly better ordering of text results
* text results clumped into "paragraphs" for easier reading
* iOS6 and retina4" support
* feedback screen has better "email" and "rate" links
BUG FIXES:
* can now delete individual items in history with voiceover on
* the "please rate us" screen should be less prevalent, in general, and respect your wishes when you opt out
* easier navigation of tutorial in some cases