From: dld@magi.ncsl.nist.gov (Darrin Dimmick X4147)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.neural-nets
Subject: NIST Special Databases and Software
Date: 15 Oct 92 16:06:44 GMT
Organization: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD

This posting contains a list of special databases and software available from
the Image Recognition group at NIST. The newest additions to this list are 
Special Database 6 - NIST Structured Forms Reference Set 2 of Binary Images
Special Database 7 - NIST Test Data 1: Binary Images of Handprinted Segmented
                     Characters
Special Software 1 - NIST Scoring Package Release 1.0 available in November.
_______________________________________________________________________________

NIST Special Databases and Software from the Image Recognition Group
Last Revised 10/15/92
=======================================================
Special Database 1 - NIST Binary Images of Printed Digits, Alphas, and Text
Special Database 2 - NIST Structured Forms Reference Set of Binary Images
Special Database 3 - NIST Binary Images of Handwritten Segmented Characters
Special Database 4 - NIST 8-bit Gray Scale Images of Fingerprint Image Groups
Special Database 6 - NIST Structured Forms Reference Set 2 of Binary Images
Special Database 7 - NIST Test Data 1: Binary Images of Handprinted Segmented
                     Characters
Special Software 1 - NIST Scoring Package Release 1.0

Prices
======
Special Database 1 - $895.00
Special Database 2 - $250.00
Special Database 3 - $895.00
Special Database 4 - $250.00
Special Database 6 - $250.00
Special Database 7 - $1,000.00
Special Software 1 - $1,150.00

For more information or to order please contact:
=======================================================
Standard Reference Data
National Institute of Standards and Technology
221/A323
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
(301) 975-2208
(301) 926-0416 (FAX)

******************************************************************************
                  +-----------------------------+
                  |  "NIST Special Database 1"  |
                  +-----------------------------+

          Binary Images of Printed Digits, Alphas, and Text
                              (HWDB)


The NIST handprinted character database consists of 2,100 pages of
bilevel, black and white image data of handprinted numerals and text
with a total character count of over 1,000,000 characters.  This
significant new database totals approximately 3 gigabytes of image data
with 273,000 numerals and 707,700 alphabetic characters.  With the
sample taken from the Bureau of Census field staff and also geographically
sampled, the database has the following features:
     + over 1,000,000 characters images
     + 300 pixel/inch resolution
     + images of full pages of data
     + images of numbers with 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 digits
     + images of full alphabets
     + images of unconstrained text

Suitable for both character recognition systems research, development,
and evaluation, the data set can be used for:
     + field isolation: locating the text on the page
     + character segmentation: separating the text into characters
     + character recognition: identifying specific characters

The database is a valuable tool for measurement of system performance
and system comparison.  The system requirements are a 5.25" CD-ROM drive
with software to read ISO-9660 format.

If you have any further technical questions please contact:

                         Michael D. Garris
                       mdg@magi.ncsl.nist.gov
                           (301)975-2928

******************************************************************************
                  +-----------------------------+
                  | "NIST Special Database 2"   | 
                  +-----------------------------+

                  Structured Forms Reference Set
                              (SFRS)

The NIST database of structured forms contains 5,590 full page images of 
simulated tax forms completed using machine print. THERE IS NO REAL TAX DATA IN
THIS DATABASE. The structured forms used in this database are 12 different 
forms from the 1988, IRS 1040 Package X. These include Forms 1040, 2106, 2441, 
4562, and 6251 together with Schedules A, B, C, D, E, F and SE. Eight of these 
forms contain two pages or form faces making a total of 20 form faces 
represented in the database. 

Each image is stored in bi-level black and white raster format. The images in 
this database appear to be real forms prepared by individuals but the images
have been automatically derived and synthesized using a computer and contain no
"real" tax data. The entry field values on the forms have been automatically
generated by a computer in order to make the data available without the danger 
of distributing privileged tax information.

In addition to the images the database includes 5,590 answer files, one for
each image. Each answer file contains an ASCII representation of the data found
in the entry fields on the corresponding image. Image format documentation and
example software are also provided.

The uncompressed database totals approximately 5.9 gigabytes of data.

"NIST Special Database 2" has the following features:
     + 5,590 full-page images
     + 5,590 answer files
     + 12 pixel per millimeter resolution
     + image format documentation and example software

Suitable for automated document processing system research and development, the
database can be used for:
     + algorithm development
     + system training and testing

The system requirements are a 5.25" CD-ROM drive with software to read ISO-9660
format.

If you have any further technical questions please contact:

                       Darrin L. Dimmick
                     dld@magi.ncsl.nist.gov
                         (301)975-4147

******************************************************************************
                  +-----------------------------+
                  |  "NIST Special Database 3"  |
                  +-----------------------------+

          Binary Images of Handwritten Segmented Characters
                              (HWSC)


The NIST database of handwritten segmented characters contains 313,389
isolated character images segmented from the 2,100 full-page images
distributed with "NIST Special Database 1". The database includes the
2,100 pages of binary, black and white, images of hand-printed numerals
and text. This significant new database contains 223,125 digits, 44,951
upper-case, and 45,313 lower-case character images. Each character image
has been centered in a separate 128 by 128 pixel region and has been
assigned a classification which has been manually corrected so that the
error rate of the segmentation and assigned classification is less than
0.1%. The uncompressed database totals approximately 2.75 gigabytes of
image data and includes image format documentation and example software.

"NIST Special Database 3" has the following features:
     + 313,389 isolated character images including classifications
     + 223,125 digits, 44,951 upper-case, and 45,313 lower-case images
     + 2,100 full-page images
     + 12 pixel per millimeter resolution
     + image format documentation and example software

Suitable for automated hand-print recognition research, the database
can be used for:
     + algorithm development
     + system training and testing

The database is a valuable tool for training recognition systems on a
large statistical sample of hand-printed characters. The system
requirements are a 5.25" CD-ROM drive with software to read ISO-9660
format.

If you have any further technical questions please contact:

                         Michael D. Garris
                       mdg@magi.ncsl.nist.gov
                           (301)975-2928

******************************************************************************
                 +-----------------------------+
                 |  "NIST Special Database 4"  |
                 +-----------------------------+

       8-Bit Gray Scale Images of Fingerprint Image Groups
                             (FIGS)


The NIST database of fingerprint images contains 2000 8-bit gray scale
fingerprint image pairs. Each image is 512 by 512 pixels with 32 rows of
white space at the bottom and classified using one of the five following
classes: A=Arch, L=Left Loop, R=Right Loop, T=Tented Arch, W=Whirl. The
database is evenly distributed over each of the five classifications with
400 fingerprint pairs from each class. The images are compressed using a
modified JPEG lossless compression algorithm and require approximately
636 Megabytes of storage compressed and 1.1 Gigabytes uncompressed
(1.6 : 1 compression ratio). The database also includes format
documentation and example software.


"NIST Special Database 4" has the following features:

        o  2000 8-bit gray scale fingerprint image pairs including
           classifications
        o  400 fingerprint pairs from each of the five classifications Arch,
           Left and Right Loops, Tented Arch, Whirl
        o  each of the fingerprint pairs are two completely different
           rollings of the same fingerprint
        o  19.6850 pixels per millimeter resolution
        o  image format documentation and example software


Suitable for automated fingerprint classification research, the database
can be used for:

        o  algorithm development
        o  system training and testing


The database is a valuable tool for evaluating fingerprint systems on a
statistical sample of fingerprints which is evenly distributed over the
five major classifications. The system requirements are a 5.25" CD-ROM
drive with software to read ISO-9660 format. The cost is $250.


If you have any further technical questions please contact:

                         Craig I. Watson
                     craig@magi.ncsl.nist.gov
                          (301)975-4402


******************************************************************************
                  +-----------------------------+
                  | "NIST Special Database 6"   | 
                  +-----------------------------+

                  Structured Forms Reference Set 2
                              (SFRS2)

The second NIST database of structured forms contains 5,595 full page images of
simulated tax forms completed using hand-print. THERE IS NO REAL TAX DATA IN
THIS DATABASE. The structured forms used in this database are 12 different 
forms from the 1988, IRS 1040 Package X. These include Forms 1040, 2106, 2441, 
4562, and 6251 together with Schedules A, B, C, D, E, F and SE. Eight of these 
forms contain two pages or form faces making a total of 20 form faces 
represented in the database. 

Each image is stored in bi-level black and white raster format. The images in 
this database appear to be real forms prepared by individuals but the images
have been automatically derived and synthesized using a computer and contain no
"real" tax data. The entry field values on the forms have been automatically
generated by a computer in order to make the data available without the danger 
of distributing privileged tax information.

In addition to the images the database includes 5,595 answer files, one for
each image. Each answer file contains an ASCII representation of the data found
in the entry fields on the corresponding image. Image format documentation and
example software are also provided.

The uncompressed database totals approximately 5.95 gigabytes of data.

"NIST Special Database 6" has the following features:
     + 5,595 full-page images containing hand-print
     + 5,595 answer files
     + 12 pixel per millimeter resolution
     + image format documentation and example software

Suitable for automated document processing system research and development, the
database can be used for:
     + algorithm development
     + system training and testing

The system requirements are a 5.25" CD-ROM drive with software to read ISO-9660
format.

If you have any further technical questions please contact:

                       Darrin L. Dimmick
                     dld@magi.ncsl.nist.gov
                         (301)975-4147

******************************************************************************
                  +-----------------------------+
                  | "NIST Special Database 7"   | 
                  +-----------------------------+

           NIST Test Data 1: Binary Images of Handprint
                   Segmented Characters (TST1)      

This NIST database contains almost 83,000 binary, black and white images of 
handprinted numerals and letters segmented from 500 forms of the same type used
for NIST Special Database 3. However, the forms were filled out by a very 
different writer population then the Bureau of Census field workers who filled
out the 2,100 forms used for that database. NIST Test Data 1 is the database that was used for testing in the first Census OCR Systems Conference in May 1992.

"NIST Test Data 1" has the following features
5.25" CD-ROM
     + approximately 83,000 isolated character images without classifications
     + approximately 59,000upper-case and lower-case images
     + 12 pixel per millimeter resolution
     + assumes access to NIST Special Database 3 and associated documentation

5.25" floppy disk
     + keyed classifications for all character images on the CD-ROM
     + keyed index to 500 writers

This database is suitable for use in testing OCR systems againist the results
obtained by over 40 systems in the First Census OCR Systems Conference and for
use as a database for training OCR systems.

The system requirements are a 5.25" CD-ROM drive with software to read ISO-9660
format and a 5.25" floppy drive with the software to read high density MS-DOS 
format.

If you have any further technical questions please contact:

                       R. Allen Wilkinson
                     urt@magi.ncsl.nist.gov
                         (301)975-3383

******************************************************************************

                     +-------------------------+
                     | NIST Special Software 1 |
                     +-------------------------+

                   NIST Scoring Package Release 1.0
                                  (SP)

The NIST Scoring Package is a reference implementation of the draft, "Standard
Method for Evaluating the Performance of Systems Intended to Recognize 
Hand-printed Characters from Image Data Scanned from Forms", which has been 
submitted to ANSI X.3A. This software was used to score the results from the 
First Census Optical Character Recognition (OCR) System Conference sponsored by
the Bureau of the Census and hosted by NIST. A User's Guide is provided which
presents the concepts of scoring forms processing systems and character
classifiers, discusses the concepts and the algorithm used for dynamic string 
alignment, defines the files and their formats required as input to the Scoring
Package, and documents how the Scoring Package software is installed and 
invoked.

This software release has the following features:
     + supports both form-based and character-based scoring
     + applicable to a wide variety of structured forms
     + can be used in conjunction with NIST Special Databases (SD1, SD2, SD3,
                                                               SD6, & SD7)
     + supports user-defined form structures
     + includes scoring examples from forms and isolated characters
     + includes an extensive 66-page User's Guide

The NIST Scoring Package can be used to:
     + determine if OCR technology is economically advantageous to deploy for
       a specific application
     + determine which OCR product is best suited for a specific application
     + choose from a large variety of diverse algorithmic approaches when
       developing OCR systems

The NIST Scoring Package has the following attributes and requirements:
     + written in the `C' programming language and UNIX shell languages
     + developed to run on a UNIX system running SunOS 4.1.1
     + distributed on a 5.25" CD-ROM
     + requires a CD-ROM drive with ISO-9660 format software
     + utilizes 5 megabytes of magnetic disk storage upon installation and 
       compilation

If you have any further technical questions please contact:

                           Stan Janet
                     stan@magi.ncsl.nist.gov
                         (301)975-2916

-- 
Darrin L. Dimmick
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Bldg. 225/A216
Gaithersburg, MD. 20899
Newsgroups: comp.ai.neural-nets