So, earlier I’ve noted that my DSLR camera is practically limited to 1 exposure per second. That’s 1-2 pages per second. I’ve also noted that almost all photographic systems are limited to approximately this speed due to digital bus bandwidth limits with today’s technology. So, what are the fastest book scanners available today? Yep, your assertion is true: approximately 3600 pages per hour is still the practical limit. A HowStuffWorks article from 2009 says that Google’s book scanner could scan 1000 pages per hour, which is not any faster than hand-paging. Wikipedia says the fastest is 2900 pages per hour. So, yes. Indeed we don’t have scanners operating at 10 pages per second or faster. Not until we solve the digital data bus speed problem.
As for automatic document feeder solutions, there are apparently some that tout 200 pages per minute. Of course on the digital side of affairs, reduced resolution will need to be used due to bus speed limits.
Also, we have another speed limit up and coming. If you page through book-style much faster than 10 pages per second, eventually air resistance becomes the limiting factor, and the only way to go faster is to page through the book in a vacuum chamber. Actually, this even holds true with an automatic document feed, otherwise the papers are sliding sideways so quickly that they’d otherwise fly up and go airborne, or air turbulence would tear the papers apart.
What would it take to scan a million pages an hour? 278 pages per second.
Additionally, a really bright illumination source would need to be used for the high-speed camera photography. Now you realize that this is a very high-powered system and expensive to operate just in terms of the energy consumption! How do you know where to stop? That is, in terms of technological complexity and sophistication.
- Footnote: What?! Wikipedia says an operator can manually page through at 200 pages per minute? Seriously, that can’t work with all books, can it?
20180529/DuckDuckGo how fast can google scan books
20180529/https://all-about-google.blogspot.com/2009/05/google-and-how-to-scan-books-fast.html
20180529/https://computer.howstuffworks.com/google-books1.htm
20180529/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_scanning
20180529/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photoelectric_sensor
20180529/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_document_feeder
From the HowStuffWorks article, there are lots of pages on controversy of Google book scanning.
20180529/https://computer.howstuffworks.com/google-books3.htm
20180529/https://computer.howstuffworks.com/google-books4.htm
20180529/https://computer.howstuffworks.com/google-books5.htm
Again, I reiterate, because this is important! Google’s approach is decurling pages via 3D scanning via infrared light. The main disadvantage is that there is simply less resolution at the areas that are decurled, as opposed to photographing directly. Faster, sure, but also cheaper in terms of quality. Plus, it’s more expensive with the additional scanner components.
Looking for a more efficient thermal transfer printer? Solid ink printers are the solution.
20180529/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printer_(computing)#Printing_speed
20180529/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stored_energy_printer