OMR is a technology very widely used for gathering information on a form by marking special bubbles instead of writing out answers. The forms are effectively scanned by way of an OMR scanner that identifies the absence or the presence of a mark present on the form. A scanning software interprets the scanner output and translates it into ASCII format. OMR technology is helpful in many different sectors. For example, in the education industry, it is used by instructors to process multiple-choice exams, for student evaluations of teaching, and for researchers to conduct surveys and collect data. There are many things that dictate an OMR scanner’s price.
Factors that influence the price of scanners
As mentioned above, there are several factors that influence the price of scanners. Depending on these factors, the OMR scanner price may vary. Let us take a look at some of the factors that may affect the price of OMR scanners.
Holding capacity
OMR scanning hardware comes in many different models and price ranges. Depending upon the use-load, an organization can choose the model. The holding capacity of the scanner dictates its price point. As mentioned earlier, ADF or an automatic document feeder significantly increases the price point. But it also confers several advantages. There are automatic scanners available for use cases involving a large number of sheets. These scan multiple pages at once and end up saving a lot of time. Some also have a reservoir to keep the sheets and then scan them rapidly. These types of automatic scanners are called ADF scanners. They are expensive, with each scanner costing upwards of 25,000 rupees. The higher the cost, the higher the scan rate of the machine, and it is able to scan more pages per minute. OMR sheets can also be scanned using a flatbed scanner. They are much cheaper than their ADF counterparts but also much slower and can only be used for sheets numbering in the hundreds.
Optical Resolution
Optical resolution is also an important factor that determines the OMR scanner price. Resolution is defined as the number of pixels that the scanner can capture per inch. Obviously, for OMR scanning, the resolution can’t be too low because any smudge will then be interpreted as a user mark in the OMR sheet. The optical resolution can vary from 300 to 4800 dpi. The highest resolution scanner obviously provides the best bet against false positives.
Colour depth
The colour depth of a scanner refers to the number and variety of colours a scanner can capture. Scanners can either capture in black and white or in colour. It can be 24-bit or 48-bit. A higher colour depth means that more colours can be captured. This results in an accurate and detailed image. As commonly seen, scanners with more colour depth are more expensive. But for the application of OMR scanning, they are not necessary as a parameter to be considered.
Sheet-fed Scanners
The sheet feeding attachment allows the user to quickly feed a large volume of documents quickly and efficiently. This is ideal for examination institutes, polling stations, and surveys. When there are a large number of responses, the sheet feeding attachment allows 1000s of OMR sheets to be fed into a machine, usually a high scan speed machine, so that it can perform OMR scanning for thousands of documents. This is a quick and efficient process.
Scanning speed
Scanning speed is almost always linked to the OMR scanner price. The most expensive OMR scanners are always the fastest scanning, with almost 300 pages a minute. Some of the latest models are even faster, allowing the user to breeze through thousands of papers.
Branding
As with most other things, well-known scanner brands charge relatively higher than others, even when the quality and features are almost identical. Thus, the brand of the product could dictate the OMR scanner price.
Connectivity
This is an extremely useful feature. Scanners come with a variety of connectivity options, such as WiFi, Ethernet and Bluetooth. This connectivity allows some of the more advanced models to perform OMR scanning and send converted images to a digital format instantly. This allows for the instant sending of the scanned data. One can imagine the benefits this may convey during time-sensitive situations such as exams or elections.
Software
OMR Software is a major but somewhat decoupled aspect of scanners. Having good feature-rich software can make or break the hardware. This is where Verificare from OMR Home comes in. It is loaded with high-tech features that allow for a variety of increased functionality. Some of these features are mentioned below.
- You don’t need any special or separate design software to create OMR sheets.
- The system can read any type of OMR sheet and supports unlimited sets.
- Faulty files can be re-read for accuracy.
- The system guarantees 100% accurate data reading and provides instant and reliable analysis.
- The AI feature detects instances of cheating and incorrect answers.
- The OMR Software includes built-in scanning and reading capabilities.
- The system does not depend on the paper size or type used for the OMR sheet.
- You can crop specific areas from the OMR sheets, such as photographs and signatures.
- In the OMR Software, mandatory fields are identified, and data is sorted.
- Duplicate forms and fields can be detected.
- Column validation is provided.
In conclusion, the price of an OMR scanner varies depending on several factors, such as holding capacity, optical resolution, colour depth, sheet-fed capability, scanning speed, branding, and connectivity. A higher holding capacity or automatic document feeder will increase the cost, but it also provides significant advantages such as time-saving. Optical resolution plays an important role in providing accurate results, and a higher-resolution scanner will detect false positives. However, a higher colour depth is not necessary for OMR scanning. Scanning speed is linked to the price, and the most expensive OMR scanners are the fastest, processing hundreds of pages per minute. Connectivity options such as WiFi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth are extremely useful, allowing instant sending of scanned data.
Good software can make or break the hardware, and Verificare from OMR Home offers a range of features that improve functionality and accuracy. With 99.9% accuracy on read data, OMR technology is an effective way to gather information and is widely used in the education industry, research, and other sectors. Ultimately, the OMR scanner price will depend on the organization’s specific needs and requirements.
