Nepali OCR software version 1.0.0 was released on 21 August 2017 amidst a function in Kathmandu. The software is a collaborative effort between the Information and Language Processing Research (ILPRL) Lab, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Kathmandu University, and the Nepal Association of Blind.

The OCR software has the capabilities of converting text image documents (PDF, JPEG, PNG, BMP etc.) to editable text format. This software is yet another milestone in the field of Nepali Language Processing and is believed to largely empower the visually impaired and people with low vision. Additionally, it will serve as an asset for archive houses and the general public.

The Nepali OCR Technical team at the ILPRL LAB comprising Dr. Bal Krishna Bal, Mr. Nirajan Pant, Mr. Sanjeev Budha and Dr. Balaram Prasain (CDL, TU) were working on the product since October 2016. [more detail...]