VUSE Project - Technology to Support Genealogy ResearchPage 1 of 2
August 20, 2004
Technology to Support Genealogy Research
Abstract for Senior Design Projects and Marketing Research
Prepared by
Robert V. Allen
914 Harpeth Valley Place
Nashville, TN37221
615-218-4580 (cell)or 615-662-1304 (alt)
Genealogy research is fast becoming America’s number one hobby. This is spurred by much information being available on the internet through Ancestry.com, Genealogy.com, and easy to use and affordable software programs such as Family Tree Maker. However, other than “name, rank, and serial number” data such as birth dates, marriage dates, death dates, etc. most researchers quickly “hit the wall” and never accomplish their family history goals because they cannot; a) find data that is archived at small local libraries and courthouses, b) read 18th and 19th century script for census, deeds and wills, c) read old and barely legible tombstones and photographs, and d) get prints, slides, home movies, letters, and other family documents easily transcribed into “word” format on CD or DVD.
The proposed project would involve the design, development, and demonstration of one or more pieces of equipment from existing “off the shelf” systems or instruments that could satisfy the aforementioned needs and support a newly formed business offering commercially available technical services to the genealogy researcher. Exclusive of market research, which would most likely be conducted through a Management of Technology course,the project would comprise a variety of engineering disciplines, including electrical design, component and system integration, mechanical design, embedded code in microcontrollers, software interface, digital imaging, and perhaps the use of chemicals. Biomedical engineers could become involved studying the anatomy and characteristics of our ancestors as they pertain to ourselves and the categorization or transcription of disease and causes of death from the 19th century to now.
The only services available on the market today are very specialized, incredibly expensive, and not very versatile or easy to use. For example, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is essentially non-existent for most script writings digital photography and imaging of extremely faint letters that may have been weathered (e.g., limestone tombstones commonly used from 1800 to 1920) has never been explored. Add in the myriad of old 35 mm prints, slides, and other photographs and even 8 mm and 16 mm home movies that most families have that cannot be shown or emailed to friends and relatives because of the lack of a compatible current day communications medium, and one can quickly see the large market potential for such services and/or the sale of consumer-level equipment.
Robert V. Allen would be most encouraged to work with students to design and develop equipment that would advance genealogy research and would be responsible for appropriate expenses to support the project. It would also be most helpful, if the design team could schedule several hours a week to perform their work on this project at the 914 Harpeth Valley Place facilities, which is just 15 minutes west of Nashville at exit 196 on interstate 40.