Digitizing or digitization is representing an object, image, document or a signal (usually an analog signal) by a discrete set of its points or samples. For other uses of Object see Object. In Philosophy, an object is a thing an Entity, or a Being. An image (from Latin imago) or picture is an artifact usually two-dimensional that has a similar appearance to some subject &mdashusually A document (noun is a bounded physical representation of body of Information designed with the capacity (and usually intent to Communicate. An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature (variable of the signal is a representation of some other In Signal processing, sampling is the reduction of a Continuous signal to a Discrete signal. The result is called "digital representation" or, more specifically, a "digital image", for the object, and "digital form", for the signal. A digital system uses discrete (discontinuous values usually but not always Symbolized Numerically (hence called "digital" to represent information for In the mathematical field of Representation theory, group representations describe abstract groups in terms of Linear transformations of A digital image is a representation of a two-dimensional Image using ones and zeros (binary

Analog signals are continuously variable, both in the number of possible values of the signal at a given time, as well as in the number of points in the signal in a given period of time. For other uses see Time (disambiguation Time is a component of a measuring system used to sequence events to compare the durations of However, digital signals are discrete in both of those respects, and so a digitization can only ever be an approximation of the signal it represents. A discrete signal or discrete-time signal is a Time series, perhaps a signal that has been sampled from a continuous-time signal. An approximation (represented by the symbol ≈ is an inexact representation of something that is still close enough to be useful

A digital signal may be represented by a sequence of integers. Digitization is performed by reading an analog signal A, and, at regular time intervals (sampling frequency), representing the value of A at that point by an integer. Sampling theorem The Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem states that perfect reconstruction Each such reading is called a sample. In Signal processing, sampling is the reduction of a Continuous signal to a Discrete signal.

A series of integers can be transformed back into an analog signal that approximates the original analog signal. Such a transformation is called DA conversion. In Electronics, a digital-to-analog converter ( DAC or D-to-A) is a device for converting a digital (usually binary code to an Analog signal There are two factors determining how close such an approximation to an analog signal A a digitization D can be, namely the sampling rate and the number of bits used to represent the integers. Sampling theorem The Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem states that perfect reconstruction A bit is a binary digit, taking a value of either 0 or 1 Binary digits are a basic unit of Information storage and communication

Usage examples

The term is often used for the scanning of analog sources, such as printed photos or taped videos into computers for editing, but it also can refer to audio (where sampling rate is often measured in kilohertz) and textures map transformation. A photograph (often shortened to photo) is an Image created by Light falling on a light-sensitive surface usually Photographic film or an electronic Video is the technology of electronically capturing, Recording, processing storing transmitting and reconstructing a sequence of Still images The hertz (symbol Hz) is a measure of Frequency, informally defined as the number of events occurring per Second. In this last case, as in normal photos, sampling rate refers to the resolution of the image (often measured in pixel per inch). Image resolution describes the detail an Image holds The term applies equally to Digital images film images and other types of images In Digital imaging, a pixel ( pict ure el ement is the smallest piece of information in an image Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. Digitizing is the primary way of storing images in a form suitable for transmission and computer processing. In Telecommunications transmission is the process of sending propagating and receiving an analogue or digital information signal over a physical point-to-point or A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions.

Digitizing is making a digital representation of geographical features within a raster image or vector using a geographic information system, i. e, the creation of electronic maps, either from various geographical imagery or by digitizing the traditional paper maps. An electronic map is a Map that is stored in the computers memory or some Electronic media. A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, Regions, and Themes

Since the advent of digital video the term continues to be frequently used, as of 2005, to refer to the process of importing footage into a computer via a FireWire cable. Digital video is a type of Video recording system that works by using a Digital rather than an analog video signal The IEEE 1394 interface is a serial bus Interface standard for high-speed communications and Isochronous real-time data transfer frequently But this is not technically accurate, as the footage is already digital, so it is not really being digitized, but rather encoded into whatever format the non-linear video editing software uses. An encoder is a device used to change a signal (such as a Bitstream) or Data into a Code. "NLE" redirects here For the standardized test see National Latin Examination.

"Digitization" is also used to describe the process of populating databases with files or data. While this usage is technically inaccurate, it originates for the previously-proper use of the term to describe the part of the process which involved converting the analog sources (printed pictures, printed brochures, etc. ) into the digital representation before uploading to the target database(s).

Digitizing is also used in the field of apparel where an image is recreated by artists with the help of embroidery digitizing software tools and saved as embroidery machine code. This machine code is fed into an embroidery machine and embroidered onto apparels. The most supported format is DST file.

Digitizing also refers to the process of acquiring precise dimensions from a real world object, such as a car, using a CMM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing Measurement) device. ^[1]

Analog signals to digital

Nearly all recorded music has been digitized. About 12 percent of the 500,000+ movies listed on the Internet Movie Database are digitized on DVD. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is

Analog texts to digital

About 5 percent of texts have been digitized as of 2006. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[2]

Older print books are being scanned and optical character recognition technologies applied by academic and public libraries, foundations, and private companies like Google. Optical character recognition, usually abbreviated to OCR, is the Mechanical or electronic translation of Images of handwritten typewritten ^[3]

Unpublished text documents on paper which have some enduring historical or research value are being digitized by libraries and archives, though frequently at a much slower rate than for books (see digital libraries). A library is a collection of information sources resources and services and the structure in which it is housed it is organized for use and maintained by a public body an institution An archive refers to a collection of historical records and also refers to the location in which these records are kept A digital library is a Library in which collections are stored in digital formats (as opposed to print Microform, or other media and accessible by computers In many cases, archives have replaced microfilming with digitization as a means of preserving and providing access to unique documents. An archive refers to a collection of historical records and also refers to the location in which these records are kept

Collaborative digitization projects

There are many collaborative digitization projects throughout the United States. Two of the earliest projects were the Collaborative Digitization Project in Colorado and NC ECHO - North Carolina Exploring Cultural Heritage Online, based at the State Library of North Carolina. These projects establish and publish best practices for digitization and work with regional partners to digitize cultural heritage materials.

Library Preservation

Digital preservation at its most basic definition is a series of activities aimed towards ensuring access to digital materials over time. ^[4] Digitization is a means of creating digital surrogates of analog materials such as books, newspapers, microfilm, and videotapes. Digitization can provide a means of preserving the content of the materials by creating an accessible facsimile of the object in order to put less strain on already fragile originals.

The prevalent Brittle Books^[5] issue facing libraries across the world is looking towards a digital solution in long term preservation. ^[6] For centuries, books were printed on wood-pulp paper, which turns acidic over the period of its decay. As the paper ages, it deteriorates to a point of being completely unusable. In theory, if these widely circulated titles are not treated with de-acidification processes, the materials upon those acid pages will be lost forever. As technology evolves, it is increasingly becoming a preferred method of preserving these materials - maily because it can provide easier access points and significantly reduced amounts of physical storage space.

Google, Inc. has taken steps towards attempting to digitize every title with "Google Book Search"^[7][8]. While some academic libraries are in contract with the service, issues of copyright law violations threaten to derail the project. ^[9] However, it does provide - at the very least - an online consortium for libraries to exchange information and for researchers to search for titles as well as review the materials.

Fiction

Works of science-fiction often include the term digitize as the act of transforming people into digital signals and sending them into a computer. When that happens, the people disappear from the real world and appear in a computer world (as featured in the cult film Tron or the animated series Code: Lyoko). Tron is a 1982 Disney Science fiction film starring Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn (and his counterpart inside the electronic world Code Lyoko is a French Animated television series featuring both conventional animation and CGI. In the video game Beyond Good and Evil the protagonists holographic friend digitizes the players inventory items. Beyond Good & Evil is a Video game for the GameCube, Microsoft Windows ( PC) PlayStation 2, and Xbox platforms In Pencil and paper games and Computer and video games an item is an object within the game world that can be collected by a player- or occasionally a

See also

• Analog to digital converter
• Digital audio
• Digital libraries
• Digital preservation
• Frame grabber
• Graphics tablet
• Pattern digitizing
• Raster image
• Raster graphics
• Raster to vector
• Rotoscope
• Vector graphics

References

1. ^ http://www.digimation.com/home/?Content=digitalcarshome.html
2. ^ New York Times; May 14, 2006; Scan This Book!
3. ^ http://www.google.com/press/pressrel/print_library.html "Google Checks Out Library Books," Press release, December 14, 2004
4. ^ “What is Digital Preservation”. An analog-to-digital converter (abbreviated ADC, A/D or A to D) is an electronic integrated circuit which converts continuous signals to Digital audio uses Digital signals for Sound reproduction. This includes analog-to-digital conversion, digital-to-analog conversion, storage A digital library is a Library in which collections are stored in digital formats (as opposed to print Microform, or other media and accessible by computers Digital preservation is the management of Digital information over time A frame grabber is an electronic device that captures individual digital still frames from an analog video signal or a digital video stream A graphics tablet (or digitizing tablet, graphics pad, drawing tablet) is a computer Input device that allows one to hand-draw images and graphics In Computer graphics, a raster graphics image or bitmap, is a Data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of Pixels In Computer graphics, a raster graphics image or bitmap, is a Data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of Pixels Rotoscoping is an Animation technique in which Animators trace over live-action film movement frame by frame for use in Animated films Originally Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points lines, Curves and shapes or Polygon (s which are all based Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Library Technology Reports 44:2 (Feb/March 2008).
5. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brittle_Books_Program
6. ^ Cloonan, M. V. and Sanett, S. “The Preservation of Digital Content,” Libraries and the Academy. Vol. 5, No. 2 (2005): 213-37.
7. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Book_Search
8. ^ http://books.google.com/
9. ^ Baksik, C. “Fair Use or Explotation? The Google Book Search Controversy,” Libraries and the Academy. Vol. 6, No. 2 (2006): 399-415.