Handwriter: Converting Typed Text to Your Handwriting
Idea
It all started with a thought in Grade 11: Is it possible to convert a typed piece of text into handwriting? More specifically, is it possible to convert a typed piece of text into my handwriting!
The first solution that popped into my mind was machine learning. But after thinking about how to implement this, I soon realised that it would not only be difficult but it would also not have 100% accuracy(as with all ML models).
After spending a few hours going back and forth on different ways to implement this, I had the aha moment! A piece of text is made of lines, each line is made of words, and well each word is made of characters. Therefore the most basic part of a text was the characters and if I had an image of each character in the English language, I would be able to string them together to form words, lines and hence a page of text!
Prototype
The prototype was relatively simple to build out. I wrote down all the characters of the English language and took individual photos of them. Next, I wrote a python program that would take a text input, find the respective image characters, join them and produce an output.
Here's an example of how this program works:
Text Input: "Hello World! This is a test of the handwriter!"
Output:
A Handwriter Website?
This program was a lot of fun to build and I wanted to share this with anyone in the world so that they could convert any text into their handwriting. The problems? Not only did I not know how to build a website but also the task of adding a handwriting was painstakingly irritating. A person would have to take individual photos of 26 lower case alphabets, 26 upper case alphabets and many more special characters in order to generate text in their handwriting.
Working in a Team
"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much."
Words alone cannot explain the truth in this statement.
After explaining the idea of a handwriter website, 2 of my friends were extremely excited and we immediately started working on the project!
Being in the era of zoom and online classes, it was not too difficult for us to collaborate online and we eventually had a basic website running.
Final Result
After over 3 months of testing and numerous calls, handwriter.in came into existence! With the help of this website, anyone, anywhere can convert typed text into their handwriting!
We're extremely thrilled to release this and would love to hear any feedback on the same!
Testing on a sample of text from wikipedia:
"Handwriting is the writing done with a writing instrument, such as a pen or pencil, in the hand. Handwriting includes both printing and cursive styles and is separate from formal calligraphy or typeface. Because each person's handwriting is unique and different, it can be used to verify a document's writer.[1] The deterioration of a person's handwriting is also a symptom or result of several different diseases. The inability to produce clear and coherent handwriting is also known as dysgraphia.
Each person has their own unique style of handwriting, whether it is everyday handwriting or their personal signature. Even identical twins who share appearance and genetics do not have the same handwriting. The place where one grows up and the first language one learns meld together with the different distribution of force and ways of shaping words to create a unique style of handwriting for each person.[2]"
Output generated by handwriter.in
Can I see a video of how this works?
Sure.