EU Funded Research Project Collaborates with Morpho AI Solutions to Advance Analysis of 19th Century Japanese Texts

University of Bologna has announced the use of FROG AI-OCR provided by Morpho AI Solutions, Inc., a consolidated subsidiary of Morpho, Inc. (The following is reprinted from the original article.)

University of Bologna, 28/06/2023 – The EU-funded research project, “Modernizing Empires: Enlightenment, Nationalist Vanguards and Non-Western Literary Modernities” (acronym: NONWESTLIT), based at the University of Bologna and led by Associate Professor Özen Dolcerocca, is delighted to announce its collaboration with Morpho AI Solutions, a pioneering technology company providing Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The collaboration aims to leverage Morpho AI’s cutting-edge product, Frog AI-OCR, renowned for achieving the highest accuracy results in analyzing nineteenth century Japanese texts in print.

The NONWESTLIT project is a groundbreaking comparative study of cultural reforms, linguistic renewal, and literary renaissance movements within three imperial traditions—Russia, Turkey, and Japan. These nations, positioned between the East-West divide, share a common historical experience of navigating modernization and westernization processes. Despite their vast cultural diversity, NONWESTLIT argues that these three empires developed a shared intellectual vocabulary and narrative models.

To accomplish its ambitious research goals, the NONWESTLIT project requires advanced text analysis capabilities, particularly for analyzing Japanese print texts from the nineteenth century. This era witnessed significant cultural and literary transformations, making it a crucial focus for the project. Enter Morpho AI Solutions, a company at the forefront of OCR technology. Their OCR program, Frog AI-OCR, has been recognized for its unparalleled accuracy in processing and extracting information from historical Japanese texts.

By collaborating with Morpho AI Solutions and utilizing Frog AI-OCR, the NONWESTLIT project aims to overcome the challenges posed by deciphering complex, historical Japanese texts. Frog AI-OCR’s remarkable accuracy in accurately transcribing and analyzing these documents is set to revolutionize the project’s research capabilities. This collaboration represents a significant step forward in digital humanities research and paves the way for enhanced understanding of 19th century literary and intellectual history in Japan.

Prof Dolcerocca, the Principal Investigator of the NONWESTLIT project, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “Our partnership with Morpho AI Solutions and their state-of-the-art OCR program, Frog AI-OCR, will undoubtedly propel our research forward. The accuracy and efficiency of Frog AI-OCR in processing 19th century Japanese print texts will provide us with invaluable insights into the shared historical experiences of different cultures. This collaboration exemplifies the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and technological innovation in advancing scholarly research.”

Morpho AI Solutions is equally excited about the collaboration and the potential impact of their technology on the NONWESTLIT project. CEO of Morpho AI Solutions, Takeshi Kanda, commented, “We are thrilled to collaborate with the NONWESTLIT project and support their pioneering research endeavors. Frog AI’s exceptional accuracy and adaptability make it an ideal tool for analyzing historical Japanese texts. We look forward to seeing the valuable insights and discoveries that emerge from this collaboration between European research community and Japan.”

The collaboration between the NONWESTLIT project and Morpho AI Solutions represents a fusion of academic research and cutting-edge technology, emphasizing the transformative potential of interdisciplinary partnerships. As the project continues its exploration of cultural models and narratives across diverse imperial traditions, this collaboration promises to unlock new dimensions of understanding and shed light on the shared intellectual heritage of these three empires.

The “Modernizing Empires: Enlightenment, Nationalist Vanguards and Non-Western Literary Modernities” (NONWESTLIT) project is an EU-funded research initiative based at the University of Bologna. Led by Principal Investigator Prof Dolcerocca, NONWESTLIT aims to investigate cultural reforms, linguistic renewal, and literary renaissance movements in the imperial traditions of Russia, Turkey, and Japan. By examining their shared historical experiences, the project seeks to uncover common intellectual vocabulary and narrative models that emerged despite their distinct cultural backgrounds. Project website: https://site.unibo.it/nonwestlit/en

Morpho AI Solutions is a leading technology company providing  Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software which is based on Tokyo, Japan. Their flagship product, Frog AI-OCR, offers advanced text analysis capabilities, particularly for historical and complex texts. Frog AI-OCR’s accuracy and adaptability make it an essential tool for researchers, historians, and scholars seeking to analyze and extract information from challenging textual sources. Morpho AI Solutions is dedicated to advancing the boundaries of OCR technology and supporting academic research in the digital humanities.