How to develop a system for automatic recognition of test answer forms?

Question

Pattern recognition

Hello! Let me start off by saying that I am a complete newbie in IT. I heard in passing that there are text recognition algorithms and neural networks.
At work, almost every month we hold various competitions for schools, in which a HUGE number of schoolchildren participate. Approximately: Minimum - 8 thousand, maximum - 30 thousand participants. And so every month. Answers are filled out on a standard form. And then we, together with the whole office, manually check these tests.
Questions:
1) How can you automate the test verification process? Is it possible to use a regular scanner and some algorithm based on the same neural networks for this?
2) and how can this be implemented as a software product? what programming language/tool ​​to use? (advise anyone, since I will still learn from scratch)
3) how to connect the scanner with the program code and is it optimal for such a flow of tests?
Prompt in what direction to dig and move. I would be grateful for links to useful material.

Answer 1

I work in a testing center, we check about 8,000 forms a week.
For printing we use Bar Tender,
for scanning we use Abbyy Flexy Capture in conjunction with an automatic scanner Kodak i222.
my advice to you if the forms are paper, then do not try to write / fork or something else yourself. It is better and easier to buy ready-made software that will work reliably, and it will be easier for you to maintain it.

Answer 2

I heard in passing that there are text recognition algorithms and neural networks.
at work, almost every month we hold various competitions for schools, in which a HUGE number of schoolchildren participate.

It sounds something like this: You know, we are here in a cave, making fires and making tools and arrowheads from stone. We would like to make mobile communications and a couple of drones with automatic detection of large prey using infrared scanning of the area, because. it is not very convenient to coordinate the actions of the tribe during the hunt for the mammoth: a lot of effort is expended.
It's 2018 now! All mobile phones and tablets. What is the problem in creating an application and putting forward requirements to install it for full-fledged testing and collecting schoolchildren's answers?
Here is something sane: www.eyegrade.org
Github (Python sources): https://github.com/jfisteus/eyegrade/

Answer 3

Okay, I will answer in a simple way, perhaps somewhere inaccurately, since the author is a beginner. This is specially written for those who like to tinker with details. The test can be recognized, but this is unacceptable in this case, since text recognition has a certain degree of reliability, and you need 100% match with what is written on paper. Of course, you can develop special forms with a high degree of recognition, but why, if you can initially make individual online forms for testing, there is an IT class even in villages, and in extreme cases, you can make a mobile version.
Let's start a little with the term "neural network". A neural network, if completely simplified, is something like a catalog of connections, it has nothing to do with tests, if you read about graph theory, then graphs are the most classic example of a neural network, but basically it’s just a word of marketers, because the term neural network can mean Thousands of different algorithms and which one is specifically in question is completely incomprehensible.
As for the tests themselves, this is quite simple, there will be difficulties with the number of simultaneous participants, but this can also be solved, high-performance technologies like Node.js and WebSocket will most likely help, I can offer the services of my team for this.
As for self-study of the material on this topic, there is a lot to learn in order to cover all the ins and outs at a time, on your own - a maximum of a simple site with a test, there is nothing to think about more advanced options.

Answer 4

The best option is to transfer contests to the framework of Internet testing. To do this, you can use the same Google Forms, or similar services.
If it’s not possible to break through the head of the authorities (and it’s definitely worth a try with such volumes), then in addition to working with graphics, you will have to study the DBMS. I’m not ready to suggest an implementation, but I think that here you can do without neural networks if the answers are always equally densely painted over.

Answer 5

ABBY products will save you
how to drive data through them - the second question

Answer 6

Oh, those naive initiative employees in state / contract structures.
You understand that if the authorities implement automation, they will lose a LOT of money.
Of course, they will promise you and praise you, but ...
Run away from there until your initiative is killed.